How It Started
by Peachy-Author
Summary: Here's the story that begins my "T.U.F.F. Puppy" timeline. KittyXEric at first, but then becomes DudleyXKitty later on. Chapter story! COMPLETE!
1. It Starts

(A/N: Hey everybody! I'm kinda re-writing my T.U.F.F. timeline, so most of the stories are gonna be quite a bit different, yet still the same in ways. Anyways, it's always best to start at the beginning, so let's see "How It Started", when the timeline begins...)

It was a late winter Monday in the city of Petropolis. There was snow on the ground, but it would melt soon, and spring would return. However, I'm forgetting that we're supposed to be at T.U.F.F., so let's head on over there and see what's up!

At T.U.F.F., it was time for Kitty to go on her break. That couldn't have been timed any better, for Eric, the water delivery guy, showed up with a new water cooler.

"Hi, Kitty." Eric greeted when he saw her making her way to the break room.

Kitty stopped dead in her tracks when she heard his voice, and she turned to see him standing there.

"_I love you_! I mean... hi, Eric!" Kitty happily said upon seeing him.

"How are you?" Eric asked.

"Better, now that you're here." Kitty replied, grinning like a stupid kid.

"Odd reply, considering what happened a while back." Eric replied.

"What do you mean?" Kitty asked, snapping out of her lovesick daze.

"You're a married woman. If anyone should make things better for you, it should be your husband." Eric asked.

"What are you talking about?!" Kitty asked. As far as she knew, she was still a bachelorette.

"You got married a while back, and you said that the groom was a really great guy." Eric reminded her.

Then Kitty remembered what he was talking about. (A/N: For those of you who may not remember, he was referring to the events of the episode "'Til Doom Do Us Part".)

"Oh, _that_ wedding. It wasn't a real wedding. We staged a fake wedding to stop the bad guys from stealing wedding presents 'cause it made people afraid to get married. And because it wasn't a real wedding, I'm still single." Kitty explained.

"Really?" asked Eric.

"Yup." said Kitty.

"Okay." Eric replied.

There was a moment of awkward silence between the two after that.

"What about you? Did you get married?" Kitty asked him.

"No, not really. But since you're not married, and I'm still in love with you, the offer still stands." Eric started as he walked over to her.

"You mean... You're saying..." Kitty started, hardly daring to believe it herself.

"Run away with me, Kitty Katswell. You can be my queen in the country I bought for us! Please say yes!" Eric said, setting down the water cooler and proposing with the crown again.

"_YES_! I WILL! I DO!" Kitty exclaimed in happiness, grabbing him and giving him a passionate kiss. Eric grinned and put the crown on her head, and everyone in the room applauded politely.

Well, only two people in the room were not very happy as they applauded. There was Kitty's twin sister, Katrina, and their partner, Dudley Puppy. Katrina wasn't happy because she felt that Eric was not Kitty's type. He was way out of her league, and she also thought he was kinda ugly.

Dudley, on the other hand, was happy for Kitty, but at the same time, he also felt unhappy about it. He didn't know why, but something about Kitty marrying Eric really bugged him.

It didn't help that Kitty and Eric spent a lot of time kissing now that they were engaged. They kissed until Eric remembered the water cooler. He told Kitty that he had to put the water cooler in, and then he'd have to go.

"Let's go out and start planning our wedding tonight!" Kitty said to Eric.

"Okay." Eric agreed.

After they decided on a restaurant and the time to meet, Eric left the building.

Later that day, Katrina and Dudley were in the break room with Kitty when she went on her break again. Kitty was so excited about marrying Eric that it was all she talked about.

"I can't believe it! Eric asked me to marry him! I'm going to marry the man of my dreams, and this time, I _didn't_ have to turn him down! I'm going to be queen of a country that's shaped like me! I can't wait until we get married! I'm so happy right now, I may never stop smiling!" Kitty exclaimed, delirious with excitement.

Katrina rolled her eyes and tuned her sister out. It wasn't something she liked to do, but when Kitty was like this, she had no other choice. All this talk about Eric was making her feel sick. (A/N: It's even making me sick, which isn't good, considering that I'm the one writing this.)

At one point, she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. She looked to see that it was Dudley.

"Can I help you?" Katrina asked, turning her attention to her partner.

"How can you stand Kitty talking about how she's going to be Mrs. Eric's Queen?" Dudley whispered to her.

"I _can't_ stand it. I tuned her out." Katrina whispered back.

"How do you do that?" Dudley asked.

"Pay her no mind." Katrina answered.

"I don't think I have enough money to do that right now." Dudley said as he pulled out his wallet and opened it. From what we could see, there wasn't really that much money in it. That's because Dudley usually keeps his money in his sock drawer at home.

"You don't pay her any money. Just focus on something else, and pretty soon, you won't even hear her." Katrina told him.

So Dudley focused on the clock, hoping it would help him tune Kitty out until the break was over.

Yes, I know the story is off to a bad start, but don't go thinking for one second that I'm no longer supporting DudleyXKitty. I've been supporting them since I saw the episode "Dog Daze", and nothing has changed my mind. You should be seeing DudleyXKitty hints in this story at some point. Just give it some time, and stay tuned.


	2. It's My Fault

(A/N: Okay, now we're on to Chapter 2. Let's see how Dudley's holding up now.)

Before long, it was time for the agents to head on home. Dudley and Kitty couldn't have been any happier, 'cause while Dudley could go home and think, Kitty was going to meet with Eric and plan the special day.

When Dudley got home, his mom had prepared spaghetti, one of his favorite meals, for supper. But Dudley pleaded 'not hungry'. He didn't even want dessert, which was apple pie, another of his favorites!

"Are you sure?" Peg asked, looking confused. Why would Dudley turn down food? He never did that before.

"You're messing with us, right?" asked Dudley's older brother, Bruce, even though he did sound concerned on the off-chance Dudley was being serious.

"No." Dudley said.

"But you're _always_ hungry! I've never known you to turn down food, especially dessert!" Bruce exclaimed.

"Something's wrong. Let me feel your head." Peg said, trying to get close to Dudley to see if he was coming down with something.

"I'm fine. Honest. I just need to go and... be someplace quiet right now. That's all." Dudley said before making his way upstairs and slamming the door to his room.

"That's not a good sign." Peg said.

"I know. He turned down spaghetti, _and_ apple pie! Those normally cheer him up, even when he's been having a really bad day!" Bruce said.

But in this case, food wasn't going to help Dudley feel better. He couldn't see why Kitty would go right ahead with this. She had been oblivious to everything and everyone today after she got engaged. Eric made her happier than she'd ever been.

Kitty made that fact way too obvious because she hadn't shut up about how excited she was to be a queen and Eric's wife. It was all she talked about after Eric left the building.

"_She didn't talk about anything else once she got engaged. Maybe she's excited to leave Petropolis? Perhaps she's trying to keep herself from missing anyone when it's time for her to leave_." Dudley thought to himself as he laid down on his bed. The thought was rather sad. How could Kitty just sit there and act like leaving Petropolis was the most wonderful thing to ever happen to her?

"_I thought she and I were best friends as well as partners. How could she want to leave me_?" Dudley thought. He replayed all the good times between him and Kitty in his mind. There were a lot of them. When Kitty needed rescuing, Dudley was there for her. He also brought Kitty as his helper duckling when he got to be the Lucky Duck on Quacky's show. When he won that trip for 2 to Hawaii, Dudley brought Kitty with him. Dudley also made something for her that time they went to camp to stop Snaptrap from cheating at events and causing mayhem.

He even told her that everything about her was awesome, and that he didn't want to have anyone but her as a partner (but he also enjoyed having Katrina as a partner, too). He even kept a picture of him and Kitty on his desk, and the frame read "Perfect Partners". Kitty had a similar picture in a "Perfect Partners" frame on her own desk (and they were smiling at each other in both pictures). Also, each of them had a half of these "Best Partners" necklaces. Dudley was still wearing his half.

"_Then again, we didn't always get along. Could that be why Kitty wants to leave_?" Dudley remembered, and he started thinking about the bad times he and Kitty had had. And unfortunately, there were a lot of them.

He remembered when he and Kitty attended camp. The thing he did wrong was not save any s'mores for Kitty, even though she didn't really seem too mad about that. Her main concern at the time was to stop Snaptrap.

When he became 'Iron Mutt', he referred to Kitty as his 'unfunny sidekick' and didn't seem to care about her at all. However, he later said that Kitty meant more to him than the suit.

When it was time for the Petropolis Dog Show, Dudley entered, but that was bad, for he cared more about his looks and winning his own mailman than stopping the Chameleon from turning Petropolis into a desert. Sure, he saved her when she got caught by the Chameleon, but he'd been a real jerk for most of the mission.

Dudley even insulted Kitty's dancing. He wondered why he didn't just teach her how to dance better (even though she eventually got better, thanks to Snaptrap teaching her). And then, when she helped him with a dancing game they had to play to prevent a bomb from going off, she'd almost beaten the high score in the game, only he shut the game off before she could because the high score was his, and he didn't want anyone, not even Kitty, to beat it.

There was also that time Kitty invited Dudley to her piano recital, and the adjectives he used to describe it were all bad. Plus, when he applauded at the end, he said that he was applauding because it was over, not because he enjoyed it.

There were also times that Dudley had lied to Kitty. He even hurt her, but most of those injuries she'd sustained were unintentional. But she was pretty resilient, and so recovered rather quickly. And there were times he'd blamed her for things that were really his fault, just to avoid getting into trouble.

He also remembered the time he knew nothing about her, and he constantly referred to her as a squirrel. And when he tried to read her diary so he could learn more about her, he ended up accidentally e-mailing it to everyone!

And on Halloween, he kept attacking her and calling her a black cat, when she was clearly tan. He didn't do that to Katrina. Maybe it was Kitty's spy-suit that made him think she was black? How could he have been so blind?

Also, on that same Halloween, they got cornered by zombies in the (empty) Petropolis Emergency Candy Reserve. The zombies were harmless as long as they had candy to feed on. If there wasn't any candy, they'd eat brains. In the reserve, Dudley told Kitty that he had candy in his costume. The zombies must've smelled it, and Kitty told him to hand it over. He said that he'd rather let the zombies eat his brains than give up the candy. Kitty told him he had no brains, which he claimed was a win-win for him.

"I'm such an idiot! Kitty and I could've been killed, and all I cared about was that stupid candy! What was I thinking?!" Dudley asked himself. He started to feel that perhaps he was the reason Kitty was excited about getting married and out of Petropolis.

And during the time that T.U.F.F. was shut down by the mayor, Dudley had set up a temporary H.Q. in his room, and he made Kitty stay out of his room because he didn't allow girls in there (except for his mom). Well, until Bruce forced him to let Kitty in, and he very reluctantly allowed her in his room. He was wishing he'd let her in his room in the first place now. (A/N: That's in the one-shot 'Here's Brucie!', which I wrote as an introduction to Bruce.)

There was also the time he stole her purse to give to aliens. Plus, he and Snaptrap each stole money from it. But she hadn't really noticed any money missing when she got her purse back, so Dudley figured he could pay back the stolen amount after he got paid this week. He'd have to do it when she wasn't paying attention, and that'd be easy, 'cause she hadn't paid him any attention after she got engaged.

Dudley got up off his bed, opened his sock drawer (where he kept his money), and put the amount they'd stolen in his wallet, planning to give it to Kitty during their break tomorrow.

However, he suddenly remembered that time the Chameleon was stealing money from elderly sheep. Dudley stole money from Kitty's purse to find the fleecer. As if that wasn't enough, he used her entire life savings to make a money dress to lure the Chameleon over to him. Then he'd put a bomb in the dress before giving it to the Chameleon! He destroyed Kitty's entire life savings, and he'd _never_ be able to pay that back!

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" Dudley scolded himself, hitting his head against the wall in frustration. But he had to go lie down after that, 'cause he only worsened the headache he'd gotten from listening to Kitty's excitement.

As for the Agent of the Year award, Dudley and Kitty had been so desperate to get it that they were arresting everybody and anybody. Katrina won it that time, even though she made fewer arrests than Dudley and Kitty had. But it also had to do with the fact that she hadn't been as desperate as Dudley and Kitty had been. They both learned their lesson that time.

Then he remembered the granddaddy of them all: the fake wedding. Even before then, Dudley and Kitty had been fighting more often than not. Plus, they were doing a terrible job of convincing people that they were really in love. Dudley and Kitty barely even kissed, yet they acted as if doing so was almost deadly. And Peg didn't approve of Dudley marrying Kitty, even though Kitty was all the things Peg wanted in a daughter-in-law. But they wouldn't have had to do a fake wedding if they'd paid attention the first time they went to stop the villains.

But to Dudley, the worst part was when their first attempt was a failure. They had turned their attention away from the mission when the bride was going to throw the bouquet, and Kitty said that she had to catch it because she _needed_ to marry Eric! Dudley ended up catching it instead.

And then when they got back to T.U.F.F., Dudley was growling at Kitty like a mad dog as Kitty told him to give her the bouquet 'cause she _had_ to marry Eric so he could 'take her away from all this', and by 'all this', she meant Dudley! She wanted Eric to take her away from Dudley!

"_Maybe I'm not her friend. Look at how I've treated her from time to time. I even told her that the thought of marrying her made me want to throw up. And I made our wedding really weird, even though it was fake. Plus, she as good as said that she hates me when she said that she had to marry Eric so he could take her away from me! I guess I can't blame her for wanting to leave me, after all the bad things I did to her. I did more bad than good. Worse, I don't even know if she's forgiven me for the bad times or not. I can't ask her, 'cause she's too excited about her wedding to care_." Dudley thought, tears in his eyes.

Dudley did not sleep well that night. He kept waking up from nightmares of the bad times, wishing he could take them all back.

Poor Dudley! He's been having a pretty bad day. But don't you worry. I never once supported KittyXEric, and I don't plan to start anytime soon! Stay tuned, 'cause the story is far from over!


	3. That Didn't Go Well

(A/N: Now that we know how Dudley is feeling, let's see how Katrina is dealing with Kitty's engagement.)

It was nighttime at the apartment where the Katswell twins lived. Katrina had a light dinner and had taken a shower. Now she was in her bathrobe and sitting on the couch in the living room, watching "The Big Bang Theory" on the T.V., but she wasn't really paying attention to it, despite the fact that it was an episode she liked.

"How could she go right ahead and accept his proposal?! She barely knows him, and he didn't even know her from the world's most famous actresses!" Katrina grumbled to herself.

She did not like this one bit. Her sister, Kitty Katswell, who was very intelligent, was marrying someone she didn't even know! All she knew was his name, his job, and that he said he was in love with her.

"He can't be in love with her! The only thing he knows is that she's pretty. Ooh, what I wouldn't give to take Kitty's place and sabotage what they have. But I can't do that, 'cause Heaven forbid something ruins what she and her oh-so-gorgeous Eric have!" Katrina muttered to herself, using a mocking voice on the last sentence.

At that point, the door to the apartment opened, and Katrina glanced up to see Kitty walk through the door, grinning like a stupid kid.

"It's official. Kitty has lost her mind." Katrina said to herself as she shut off the T.V.

"Did you say something?" Kitty asked.

"How was your date?" Katrina asked, making no attempt to hide the unhappiness in her voice.

"Wonderful! Eric and I decided on a spring wedding, and spring isn't far from now. We also made the guest list, and invited all our family members (except for Katty), and everyone at T.U.F.F.!" Kitty said.

"Goody for you." Katrina said.

"Eric's going to ask his brother, Derek, to be the best man. And I want you to be the maid of honor!" Kitty said.

"No offense, sis, but I really don't think I'm fit for that particular role." Katrina said. If Eric wasn't the groom, she would've been more than happy to do it, but she didn't want to be in a wedding where she didn't agree with the marriage.

"Nonsense! You're perfect for the role!" Kitty said, not realizing that Katrina was reluctant to be in a wedding she did not agree with.

"No, I'm not. Go get Katty to do it; I bet she'd enjoy it. Really." Katrina tried.

Kitty sensed that Katrina was trying to get out of attending her special day, but she wasn't about to go through with the wedding without her sister.

"I already told you that we didn't invite her! _You_ are my maid of honor, and that is _final_!" Kitty said, letting Katrina know that she meant it.

"Okay, okay! I'll do it! Happy now?!" Katrina asked.

"I should be, but you don't seem to be. I thought you wanted to be my maid of honor." Kitty said.

Katrina thought about it and quickly changed her mind to avoid her sister becoming something akin to a bridezilla, so she put on a very convincing fake grin and said, "Of course I did! I was just testing you, that's all!"

"Oh, okay!" said Kitty, feeling happier now.

"So... what else did you do? Pick out the wedding cake?" Katrina asked.

"Yes!" Kitty said.

"Figures." Katrina muttered under her breath.

"What was that?" Kitty asked.

"Nothing. Go on." Katrina said.

"Eric said that he's also got a castle built for us in Kitaly! And that I'm going to love it!" Kitty continued.

"I'm sure you will." Katrina mumbled.

"I don't care where we live, so long as we're together." Kitty said.

"So you would be happy being homeless if Eric was with you?" Katrina said.

"We wouldn't _be_ homeless! He's rich, remember?" Kitty said.

"Okay, so you'd be happy if you were living in a tiny wooden shack in the middle of nowhere as long as Eric was in it with you?" Katrina asked.

"Of course!" Kitty grinned, before adding, "I still can't believe he wants to marry me!"

"Well, look at that! We both agree on something at last!" Katrina said, looking happy.

"What do you mean?" Kitty asked.

"I can't believe he wants to marry you, either! He doesn't know you very well at all! If I were him, I'd wait before marrying you, just to make sure that I'm marrying someone I can love!" Katrina said.

"He does _so_ love me!" Kitty argued.

"Kitty, he doesn't know you, and you don't know him. That's dangerous!" Katrina said.

"We learned a lot about each other tonight!" Kitty said.

"Oh really? Does he know that you had a relaxing problem?!" Katrina asked.

"No, because that's not important! It was in the past!" Kitty said.

"Okay, then. So what did you learn about him?" Katrina asked.

"Why do you wanna know?" Kitty asked.

"I'm just curious." Katrina said with a small shrug.

"He thinks I'm the most beautiful woman who ever lived." Kitty said, simpering.

"_Oh great. He's really lusting after Kitty. And she's doing the same to him. It's not real love._" Katrina thought.

"Any guy can say that to a girl, Kitty. But it doesn't mean anything unless he knows you like the back of his hand. Does he know anything about you? Like the fact that you want kids?" Katrina said.

"I already told him that." Kitty said.

"When?" Katrina asked.

"Back when Birdbrain found out that I love him. That was Dudley's fault, but still..." Kitty said.

"Eric was hypnotized when you told him! He's not gonna remember that! Besides, what if he doesn't want kids? Did you think about that?" Katrina asked.

"If I want them, we'll have them! Eric promised me that when we're married, I can have whatever I want!" Kitty said.

"Kitty, even if a guy can give a woman everything she wants, that may not mean that she's happy." Katrina said.

"You're just jealous that I found someone and you didn't!" Kitty accused.

"Who said I was jealous?" Katrina asked.

"You're hinting at it." Kitty said.

"No, I am not. I just wish you didn't throw your knowledge of love and romance out the window every time Mr. 'I'm-so-amazing' Eric shows his ugly face to you." Katrina said.

"He's not ugly! And you might as well _get_ used to him, because he and I _are_ in love, and we are _going_ to get married, and you're _still_ going to be my maid of honor! Now stop raining on my parade!" Kitty shouted.

"Whatever!" Katrina yelled back as Kitty stormed into their bedroom and slammed the door shut.

"Guess I'll sleep right here, then." Katrina muttered. She grabbed the blanket that was on the couch and covered herself with it as she stretched herself out. Then she rested her head on a pillow that was on the couch, and somehow she managed to get some sleep.

Looks like it's a rough night for Katrina. And forgive me if Kitty seemed OOC, but doesn't she _always_ act that way when Eric is involved? Either way, this story is far from done, so you'll have to stay tuned if you wish to read on!


	4. The Truth Comes Out

(A/N: Those first three chapters were not at all easy for Dudley or Katrina. And they're not gonna get easier for the rest of us any time soon. It's expected, though, since things sometimes get worse before they get better. Let's continue!)

It was a fine Saturday morning in the city of Petropolis. Because there was no crime on the weekends, the T.U.F.F. agents didn't have to work. Say, why don't we go check on Dudley Puppy? He might be up to something.

Dudley and his older brother, Bruce, had the house to themselves since Peg would be out running errands all day. They decided to play a video game. Bruce thought that maybe while they played, he could probably get Dudley to tell him what was wrong, since he'd been acting out of sorts all week and hadn't told him or Peg what was the matter. And since the brothers usually talked about stuff while they played, there was a chance that a game could distract Dudley and make him open up.

Before the brothers could choose a game, there was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it. You find a game." Dudley said to Bruce.

"Okay. Let's see what we could do..." said Bruce as Dudley went to get the door.

Dudley opened the door, and there stood Katrina Katswell.

"Hey, Katrina. What brings you here?" Dudley asked.

"Hi, Dudley. Sorry for showing up unannounced, but I really don't feel like being at the apartment right now." Katrina said.

"Did Kitty find out you lied when you accepted her decision?" Dudley asked. Katrina had told him about it after a mission they went on without Kitty the day after Kitty got engaged.

"No, she hasn't. I wish she'd respect my feelings, but in the state she's in, she'll never do that. And if she knew I didn't really respect her decision, she'd kill me." Katrina said.

"Did you come over because she still won't shut up about it?" Dudley asked.

"No. I had a realization, and Eric's over there right now. He and Kitty are _supposed_ to be planning their wedding, but they quickly started a round of tonsil hockey, which is probably going to become something more. I had to get out of there before saying or doing something I'll regret, which would lead to Kitty discovering that I lied to her." Katrina said, noticing that Dudley winced when she mentioned that Kitty and Eric were kissing.

"What was your realization?" Dudley asked.

"It involves Kitty, her so-called, beau and you, and it's something I think you should be told in person." Katrina said.

"This sounds serious." Dudley said.

"It is." Katrina replied.

"Why don't you come in first?" Dudley suggested.

"Okay, I really don't plan on going back to the apartment for a good while, anyways." Katrina said as Dudley allowed her to enter the house.

"So, what do you need to tell me?" Dudley asked.

"It's... not something you're going to remember..." Katrina started.

"Because it happened a long time ago?" Dudley asked.

"No. What happened to you caused you to not remember." Katrina told him.

Bruce, who was still looking for a video game, lifted his head at the sound of a girl's voice, and he saw a girl standing by Dudley. He didn't know who she was, but he thought she was awfully pretty. He wanted to know who she was.

"Hello." Bruce said as he approached Katrina.

Katrina turned in the direction the voice came from, and she looked to see a dog who was similar in appearance to Dudley, except he was slightly taller, more muscular, and he wore black pants and a red shirt.

"Well, hi!" Katrina said, liking what she saw.

"Name's Bruce." Bruce said as he held out his hand.

"I'm Katrina. I'm Dudley's partner at T.U.F.F." Katrina said as she shook hands with him.

"I thought Kitty was his partner." Bruce said, a little confused.

"She still is. I'm partners with them. Kitty's my twin sister." Katrina said.

"I didn't know Kitty had a twin." Bruce said.

"How did you meet my sister?" Katrina asked.

"It was when the mayor closed down T.U.F.F. Dudley turned his room into T.U.F.F. Headquarters, and because he didn't allow girls in his room (save for Mom), Kitty was sitting at a desk outside the room. Or, at least she was until I forced him to allow her in." Bruce said.

"You and Dudley are related?" Katrina asked.

"Bruce is my older brother." Dudley mentioned.

"Okay. Well, I was going to tell Dudley something, but I think it's something I should tell him in private." Katrina said.

"Then I guess I'd better go make myself scarce." Bruce said, and he went upstairs and disappeared into his room before Dudley could ask him to stay.

"Why can't he stay?" Dudley asked.

"If he found out what you did, he'd probably clobber you into the next century. He looks strong enough to do that." Katrina said.

"Yeah, he is pretty strong. But enough about my brother. Can you tell me what I did?" Dudley asked.

Katrina sighed and said, "It was a stormy day, and for whatever reason, you happened to be outside, wearing a suit of armor while imitating Benjamin Franklin. And by that, I mean you were flying a kite with a key attached to it." Katrina said.

"And what happened?" Dudley asked.

"What do you think? What you were doing caused you to get struck by lightning! You should have been killed, but it didn't kill you, thank goodness." Katrina said.

"That's good." said Dudley.

"However, when you got struck, you got the ability to predict the future. And once Kitty realized what you could do, she began pestering you to tell her whether or not she was going to marry Eric." Katrina said.

"Oh no. Please don't tell me I said the 'y' word..." Dudley said, horrified.

Katrina honestly wished that she could tell Dudley that he didn't, but she knew that he'd want the truth. She knew she was going to hate herself for this, but she reluctantly said, "You... kinda... did..."

"NOOOOOOOO!" Dudley shouted, very unhappy.

"What is it?!" Bruce yelled as he ran down the stairs, concerned. If Dudley was yelling like that, he knew that something bad had to have happened.

"You don't wanna know!" Dudley said to him.

"Yes, I do." Bruce said.

"Dudley, I'm not finished!" Katrina said.

"Should I go?" Bruce asked.

"I'm almost done. I suppose you'll find out sooner or later." Katrina said. She quickly told Bruce the same story she was telling Dudley.

Dudley, meanwhile, was even more upset, because he knew that when Bruce heard about him getting struck by lightning, he'd finish the job for it.

Well, Bruce was shocked that Dudley was struck by lightning, and while he was relieved that his brother was okay, he was angry that Dudley had been outdoors in the middle of that storm. But he didn't know why Kitty getting married was a bad thing.

"Eric and my sister are lusting after one another. It's not real love. And if you saw the way Kitty acts around him, you'd see her acting like a flighty girl half her age. But that's besides the point. Dudley told Kitty that while she would be marrying Eric, he also said that there was something she needs to know about him." Katrina explained.

"What did she need to know?" Bruce said.

"Dudley never finished the sentence. He got struck by lightning again-" Katrina started, only to be interrupted by Bruce, shouting, "Dudley, you blockhead!"

"Bruce! Katrina wasn't finished!" Dudley said.

"(sigh) Okay, while I'm angry that you let yourself get struck by lightning again, I'm also relieved that you're still alive. But from now on, if there's a bad storm going on outside, do us all a favor and keep your butt indoors! Got that?!" Bruce asked, and Dudley meekly nodded.

"Good!" said Bruce, looking less angry. He then turned to Katrina and said, "I'm sorry, Katrina. Please continue."

"Okay. When Dudley got struck by lightning again, he forgot what he'd been telling Kitty about." Katrina said.

"What do you think he was going to tell her?" Bruce said.

"Could be anything. Eric could very well be a hypnotist who has her under a spell, considering how she acts around him." Katrina said.

"Or he could be the Swamp Thing in disguise." Dudley said.

"Why are we talking about someone Kitty's marrying?" Bruce asked.

"Kitty and Eric got engaged on Monday." Katrina replied.

When Bruce heard that, his mind took him back to Monday evening, when Dudley pleaded 'not hungry' to dinner and dessert. Plus, Dudley was unhappy that he said Kitty would marry that Eric person. He put two and two together, and...

"Dudley, is that what this is about?" Bruce asked.

"What?" Dudley asked.

"You've been out of sorts since Monday, when Kitty got engaged. Would that have anything to do with your change in behavior?" Bruce asked.

Dudley wanted to shout "NO!", but he couldn't. He sighed and said, "It... might..."

"Why is it such a bad thing?" Bruce asked.

"You have no idea how Kitty when Eric is involved. Ever since they got engaged, all we hear from her now is 'Eric this', and 'Eric that'." Katrina said.

"And, of course, we also hear, 'Oh, I can't believe Eric asked me to marry him! I'm so happy that he's going to take me away to a country where I don't know anyone so I can rule over them and be away from Petropolis and everyone I know and used to care about!'" Dudley said, using a silly, high-pitched girly voice. He sounded exactly like a flighty girl half Kitty's age.

"Wow, Dudley! You did a perfect imitation of Kitty!" Katrina praised her partner. Then she turned to Bruce and said, "See? That's what Kitty sounds like when Eric is involved."

"Okay, I can see why that's bad. But there has to be more to it than that." Bruce said.

"It's because when Kitty and Eric get married, they're going to leave Petropolis." Dudley said.

"Yeah. Eric bought a country for him and Kitty to rule. It's called 'Kitaly', and it's shaped like my sister." Katrina said.

"Okay, the shape of the country is kinda creepy. That can prove he's lusting after Kitty. But is he descended from royalty or something?" Bruce asked.

"NO!" Dudley shouted.

"No, he's just rich." Katrina said.

"Anything else?" Bruce asked.

"I think the real reason Kitty is happy to leave Petropolis is... because she'll be away from me." Dudley admitted.

"What?!" Bruce and Katrina asked.

"I've done things to her that she couldn't, and probably shouldn't, forgive me for. I don't know if she has, and I can't ask her, because all she'll tell me is that she's getting married and she can't wait." Dudley said.

Dudley proceeded to tell them about all the times he did Kitty wrong. (But he already fixed what he and Snaptrap did during the alien fiasco. He paid Kitty back the money they'd stolen from her, but he did it when no one was looking. Kitty didn't even notice, since her engagement gave her a one-track mind.)

Bruce and Katrina listened to Dudley. Katrina remembered many of those moments, but Bruce was surprised by the things Dudley had done. Some of those things were easily forgivable. Others... not so much.

"But that's not the worst part." Dudley said at one point.

"It's not?" Katrina asked, surprised. What could be worse than the things he'd already mentioned?

"No. It happened around the time D.O.O.M. and the Chameleon started stealing wedding presents." Dudley said.

"What happened?" Bruce asked, a little worried.

"The first time we failed to stop the bad guys, do you know what Kitty said to me when we got back to T.U.F.F. and I had the bouquet?" Dudley asked.

"What?" Katrina and Bruce asked. Katrina hadn't gone with Dudley and Kitty on that mission, and she was in the break room when they returned.

"She said, and I quote, 'I have to marry Eric so he can take me away from all this! And by 'all this', I mean you!' She hates me!" Dudley exclaimed, and he ran upstairs to his room, slamming the door.

Now Bruce and Katrina know what the problem is. Because Dudley has wronged Kitty so many times in the past, he believes that Kitty hates him and is glad to leave Petropolis because it'll mean that she'll finally be away from him! Can they help him feel better? Stay tuned to find out!


	5. She Doesn't Hate You

(A/N: In that last chapter, Katrina and Bruce found out what was bothering Dudley. Perhaps they can help him feel a little better? Let's read and find out!)

Bruce and Katrina felt really bad for Dudley. They weren't sure if there was anything they could do to help him feel better.

"Do you really think she hates him?" Bruce asked Katrina.

"No, and with good reason. I'd better remind Dudley of the times Kitty cared about him. Times where she was proud of him." Katrina said.

"So he'll know that she doesn't hate him." Bruce said.

"It may not be enough, but it's worth a try." Katrina said. They went upstairs to find Dudley and help him.

"You'll know which door is his. It's the one with the sign that doesn't allow girls in the room." Bruce told her.

"I know. But Dudley should've gotten used to girls even before then, considering he works with two of them." Katrina said.

But when they got upstairs, Bruce noticed something different about the door to Dudley's room. The sign wasn't there anymore!

"I guess I was wrong." Bruce said.

"How were you wrong?" Katrina asked.

"Here's the door to his room." Bruce motioned.

Katrina then noticed that the sign was missing.

"I thought he didn't allow girls in his room." Katrina whispered to Bruce.

"Yeah, but I think this whole thing with Kitty made him decide to allow them in." Bruce whispered back. He knocked on the door.

"Go away!" Dudley called. His voice sounded as though he was crying. Now Bruce and Katrina were really concerned.

"Dudley, Kitty doesn't hate you." Katrina said.

"Yes, she does. Now go away!" Dudley replied.

"Dudley, I know you're upset right now, but I also know that you're not thinking clearly. I can think of several occasions when Kitty was happy with you." Katrina said.

"When were they?" Dudley asked.

"Can't tell you. You have to let us in first." Katrina said.

"Fine." said Dudley.

A few seconds later, Dudley got up and opened the door. Bruce and Katrina saw that his eyes were red and puffy, a sure sign that he was very upset and sorry.

"Come in." Dudley said.

Bruce and Katrina came in as Dudley went back to his bed and sat down. Katrina sat down next to him.

"So, when was Kitty happy with me?" Dudley asked as Bruce handed him the box of Kleenex that sat on the dresser before sitting down at Dudley's other side.

"Well, she was glad when you helped her stop Snaptrap shortly after you were hired. And there's the times where the bad guys were too quick for her, and from what I remember, you were the one she called for when she needed rescuing." Katrina said.

"Oh yeah. Kitty would call my name when she needed rescuing. But you were helping, too." Dudley said.

"I was trying to come up with a rescue plan, but you would get to the rescuing without a second thought." Katrina explained.

"I see." Dudley replied.

"And there was that time when the Chameleon and Birdbrain disguised themselves as the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus respectively. Once you realized the truth, you apologized to Kitty, and she praised you." Katrina said.

"That's right. But I'd been so mean to her before I discovered the truth." Dudley said, eyes downcast.

"Hey, I'll bet that when you apologized to her, the whole incident was water under the bridge, forgiven and forgotten." Katrina said.

"And if that's the case, she doesn't hate you." Bruce smiled.

"Also, I remember that time you fell in love with 'Fifi Oui-Oui'. Kitty was trying to help you get the girl, even though I was the only one who was certain that the 'lady' was really a tramp!" Katrina said.

"Oh yeah. She did try to help me, didn't she?" Dudley asked.

"Who's Fifi? This is the first time I've ever heard about her." Bruce said.

"'Fifi' was really the Chameleon disguised as a French poodle, but he failed to disguise his voice. That was how I knew." Katrina explained.

"And I didn't kiss him." Dudley said.

"Which means you did." Bruce put in.

"What makes you so sure?" Dudley asked.

"Didn't you know I was a psychic with X-ray vision?" Bruce joked, causing Katrina to crack up.

"I thought that was Mom." Dudley said.

"Big brothers have that ability, too." Bruce said.

"Great..." Dudley sighed.

"Sorry, little brother." Bruce apologized, setting a hand on his little brother's shoulder.

"There's also that time she helped you when you were scared of thunder." Katrina said after she calmed down.

"I remember. She gave me her collar, and it made me brave." Dudley said.

"Oh, and remember the time when the Chameleon was heating up Petropolis and turning it into a desert?" Katrina asked.

"Yeah, all I stupidly cared about was looking my best for the Petropolis Dog Show so I could win my very own mailman. I was making the mission really difficult for us, and Kitty was not at all pleased with me." Dudley said.

"I know. I was there, and I wasn't too pleased, either. But remember when Kitty shaved her fur?" Katrina asked.

"What about that?" Dudley asked.

"You do realize that all she had on was a one-piece swimsuit made of what was left of her fur." Katrina reminded him.

"Are you saying that Kitty was _naked_ in front of Dudley?! Wait a minute; I remember that he shaved, too. Did Kitty see him naked?!" Bruce asked.

"You bet she did! And guess what?! Neither of them were embarrassed about being naked in front of each other. They even hugged each other when they were naked! And Kitty was glad to see that Dudley sacrificed his fur to save her and Petropolis." Katrina said.

"What happened to Kitty that made her need saving?" Bruce asked.

"Kitty was knocked out by an anchor from an anchor tree the Chameleon was growing. I ran to get Dudley, but Kitty said that when she came to, he planned to roast her the way you would roast meat on a spit!" Katrina said.

"Sick! But still, if Kitty wasn't embarrassed to have Dudley see her naked, and she wasn't embarrassed about seeing him naked, she obviously doesn't hate him." Bruce said. Then he remembered what Katrina had said, and he asked, "Did you shave your fur?"

"No. I slathered sunscreen all over myself and carried one of those spray-bottles with a fan attached to keep myself cool. I was _way_ too embarrassed to shave my fur." Katrina admitted.

"It's understandable." Bruce said.

"And there's that time Snaptrap wanted to heat up the Earth's corn-belt and pop all the corn, which would destroy the planet. When we went to go stop him, I remember that Kitty told you that if it didn't work out, she was honored to have worked with you." Katrina said.

"Hmm... that should help prove that Kitty doesn't hate you." Bruce said.

Dudley really didn't remember when Kitty said that because he really wanted her apple crisps (and he ate them without her consent).

"And there was that time Quacky opened that restaurant and you won those quacktion figures. You were accused of destroying a couple of restaurants, but you hadn't done it. Kitty was willing to help prove your innocence, and she did." Katrina said.

"Yeah, I remember that. I wish I hadn't lost the quacktion figures, though." Dudley said.

"Who knows? Maybe if Quacky can change his tune, he might get his show back, and toy companies would make quacktion figures; ones that don't destroy other restaurants." Bruce said.

"That's true." Katrina said. Then she added, "Anyway, there's more. Do you recall the time when Dudley had that rash and had to wear a cone around his neck so he couldn't scratch?"

"Yeah." Bruce said.

"DON'T REMIND ME! I HATED THAT!" Dudley yelled, wishing he could forget about that time.

"We know, Dudley." Bruce said.

"Kitty and I were the only ones at T.U.F.F. who didn't laugh at him when he was wearing the cone." Katrina said.

"That was nice. You girls cared about my baby brother's feelings." Bruce said.

"We sure did." Katrina smiled.

"Bruce, you know I hate when you call me your 'baby' brother. I'm not a baby." Dudley said.

"I know, but you're the baby of the family." Bruce said.

"There's still more." Katrina said.

"We're listening." Dudley replied.

"There was the time Jack Rabbit, a former T.U.F.F. agent, returned for a visit. But he was mainly there to see Kitty, who was obviously smitten. I never really liked Jack. He was a little too... slick for my liking." Katrina started.

"And something about Jack rubbed me the wrong way. But I ended up making Kitty mad at me because of my suspicions." Dudley said, feeling bad again.

"You were right to be suspicious." Katrina told him. Turning to Bruce, she explained, "Jack was going to drain Kitty's brain of T.U.F.F.'s top secrets, but Dudley showed up to save her before it happened!"

"And what did Kitty do?" Bruce asked.

"From what I heard, she thanked Dudley and called him the best partner anyone could ever have!" Katrina said.

"Yeah. She did, didn't she?" Dudley asked, brightening up a little as he remembered that time.

"Also, she told Jack that she really liked you." Katrina added.

"Kitty said that?" Dudley asked.

"You bet she did!" Katrina smiled.

"Well, that right there just proved you wrong, Dudley. You thought Kitty hates you, but she doesn't." Bruce said.

Dudley was feeling really good, but then his face fell as he said, "But all that happened before the whole wedding episode."

"The disguised villains fiasco happened after the wedding episode." Katrina reminded him.

"I know, but... I wish I had been a better partner and friend to her." Dudley said.

Katrina frowned, but then she smiled as she remembered something else, and she said, "Well, here's something else that happened _after_ the wedding episode. There was that time you were going to take the blame when our other sister, Katty, wanted to steal that gold fishbowl. You said you would rot away in jail to prove you were a good partner. Kitty said that that was the sweetest thing you'd ever done for her."

"You and Kitty have another sister? Is she the same age as you two, or not?" Bruce asked.

"She's triplets with us, but Kitty and I never really mention her because she's evil and got thrown in jail. And she's the oldest of us." Katrina explained.

"I see." Bruce said.

"I also replaced Kitty's half of our "Best Partners" necklace when hers melted in that fire I failed to save her from." Dudley said.

"You didn't save her?" Bruce asked Dudley.

"He didn't, but I did." Katrina said.

"I still feel awful about that. I also feel bad about that time I lied to Kitty that I ate poison cupcakes. She ended up getting beat up by a lot of people while trying to make my 'last few hours' happy, and she ended up in the hospital." Dudley said, feeling bad.

"But she really was worried that you were going to die, and she cared about making you happy. And then you saved her from eating cupcakes that really were poisoned. Yes, my sister was angry when you told her the truth from guilt, but when you saved her life, she was pleased with you, and she was glad to share her hospital room with you." Katrina said.

"But then I ate her 'get well soon' candy. I don't know how she can still like me after that..." Dudley moaned.

"Here's something you need to know: Kitty's still wearing her half of the "Best Partners" necklace. I see her take it off whenever she's going to take a shower, but then she puts it right back on when she's dry and dressed. She even wears it to bed." Katrina said.

"So she does still like me?" Dudley asked.

"I don't think she ever said that she stopped." Katrina said.

"Thanks, Katrina. I feel a little better now." Dudley said as he gave her a hug.

"That's what friends and partners are for, Dudley." Katrina said as she returned the hug.

So thanks to Katrina, Dudley is feeling better. But will it last? Stay tuned in order find out!


	6. Visiting Katrina

(A/N: Now that Dudley knows Kitty can't possibly hate him, let's see how things are going in this chapter.)

It had been almost a week since Bruce met Katrina and found out why Dudley was out of sorts. He noticed that Dudley seemed quite a bit better, even though there was still no change in Kitty.

Anyways, it was Saturday again, and Katrina was alone at the apartment. Feeling bored, she called Dudley and asked him if he'd like to come over and keep her company.

"Kitty's not there, is she?" Dudley asked.

"No. She's out at You-Know-Who's place today." Katrina said.

"I should have known." Dudley said.

"You're talking to Katrina, aren't you?" Bruce asked, having heard Dudley mention the name 'Kitty', and he knew that the only other person besides Dudley who knew Kitty was Katrina.

"Hang on a sec." Dudley said to Katrina, before turning to his brother and saying, "Yes, Bruce. Katrina's on the phone."

"If you're able to come, Bruce can come too, if he wants." Katrina said, having heard Dudley tell his brother that he was talking to her.

"I'll see." said Dudley. He turned back to Bruce and said, "Bruce, Katrina invited me over to the apartment to keep her company since Kitty's away for the day, and she said you can come with me if you want."

"Sounds like a plan." said Bruce. He liked Katrina, so the thought of seeing her again was pretty neat.

"We'll be there shortly." said Dudley.

Since Peg was out shopping, Dudley called his mom to let her know that he and Bruce were visiting a friend. Peg assumed it was a guy friend (neither told her who the friend was), so she told them to have fun, and maybe some time with a friend would help Dudley feel good (Bruce forgot to tell her why Dudley had been upset).

After Peg knew what they were going to do, they exited the house, locked the door, and got in the car.

"Okay, so where do Kitty and Katrina live?" Bruce asked.

At first, Dudley couldn't believe that Bruce was asking him this, but then he remembered that Bruce had never been to the girls' apartment before.

"Let me see." Dudley said. He pulled out his address book, hoping Kitty and Katrina's address was in it. Sure enough, it was, but it wasn't in his hand-writing. Dudley then remembered that Kitty had written it there for him so he wouldn't forget to do it. The thought made him feel good. Kitty wouldn't have done that if she hated him.

"Here's their address." Dudley said, handing Bruce his address book.

Bruce read the address and entered it in the car's GPS system. Once it knew where they wanted to go, it told the boys how to get there.

Within minutes, Dudley and Bruce pulled up outside the apartment building where the Katswell girls lived.

"Let's go in." Dudley said as he and Bruce got out of the car and entered the building. Once inside, they took the elevator to the floor Kitty and Katrina lived on, then found which apartment was theirs.

"This is it." Dudley said before knocking on the door.

The door opened, and there was Katrina.

"Hey, guys. Come on in." Katrina said, ushering them into the apartment.

The brothers stepped into the apartment and looked around.

"So Kitty's really going to leave all this behind for someone she barely knows?" Bruce asked.

"Yup. The worst part is that she doesn't seem to care. But at least I have noticed that she really is still wearing her half of our 'Best Partners' necklaces." Dudley said.

"Has she decided on what she's taking with her when she goes?" Bruce asked.

"Pretty much all the stuff that belongs to her, like her clothes, jewelry, and stuff like that. Well, she's leaving the furniture and appliances, and the stuff that belongs to me. She's not taking her bed because once she's married... you know..." Katrina said.

Dudley cringed as he pictured Kitty sharing a bed with someone she didn't know. It's not exactly a good idea to do that.

"Sorry for that mental image, Dudley. Anyways, she's also leaving her bed linens and the towels. There's also stuff the two of us bought (besides the furniture and appliances), but Kitty hasn't quite decided which of those things she's going to take, and what she'll be leaving behind." Katrina said.

"She's not taking those, is she?" Bruce asked, pointing below the T.V., where he spotted an NES Classic Edition, and a SNES Classic Edition.

"No, she hasn't mentioned wanting the Classic Edition Nintendo consoles. She hasn't said she's taking the T.V., which is just as well, because that might mean she'd want the consoles." Katrina replied.

"What?! You and Kitty have Nintendo games?! What other games do you have?" Dudley asked, seeing what his brother had been pointing at.

"Apart from those consoles, we have this, as well as a few games for it." Katrina said, holding up a pink Game Boy Color, before adding, "We also have a normal NES, a normal SNES, Nintendo GameCube and a Nintendo 64, but those are back at our childhood home, with Mom."

"Is Kitty taking that Game Boy Color with her?" Bruce asked.

"She didn't say, but my guess is that she's not taking it." Katrina said.

"Can I play on one of the consoles?" Dudley asked, looking longingly at the consoles below the T.V.

"Go right ahead." Katrina said.

"All right!" Dudley said as he ran over to the T.V. and unwound a Super Nintendo controller. Then as he turned on the T.V. and console, he said, "Bruce! You wanna play Nintendo with me?"

"What if Katrina wants to play instead?" Bruce asked, looking at Katrina.

"I usually like to play video games with Kitty, but she hasn't wanted to play Nintendo since her engagement. Besides, even if she did play, her mind would be on the fact that she's engaged, and it could wreck her concentration, which would cause her to get a 'Game Over', and then she'd complain that Eric would be marrying an idiot who can't pay attention to a simple video game." Katrina said.

"Are you going to play?" Bruce asked.

"No. You and Dudley can go right ahead and play." Katrina said. Then she remembered something and added, "But I'd rather you don't play the games Kitty and I are working on."

"Which ones are they?" Dudley asked.

Katrina told him which ones she and Kitty were working on. There were a few, and some of them were easy for Dudley and Bruce to win.

"Do you know how to beat them?" Bruce asked.

"We were watching walkthroughs to get through them, but like I said, we haven't done the games since she got engaged." Katrina said.

"We could help." Dudley offered.

"Yeah. I'd love to help you." Bruce said.

"Since I'll be living alone soon, I'd really appreciate it. As for the ones Kitty and I worked on, I think I'll be starting them over. Maybe you guys could give me a hand with some of these games?" Katrina asked.

"Sure. But you should know which ones we're really good at first." said Bruce.

Dudley told her which games he and Bruce were good at on both consoles, and Katrina told them which ones she needed help with, and the ones she and Kitty had planned to do but hadn't quite started on yet.

"Maybe we can help you out with them on the weekends?" Dudley said.

"Why the weekends? Can't we help her during the week?" Bruce asked.

"There's no crime on the weekends. And we don't get off work until it's dark out." Katrina explained.

"Oh yeah." Bruce remembered Dudley telling him that the weekends were crime-free, and Dudley did get home when the stars appeared in the sky.

"Do you have a job, Bruce?" Katrina asked him.

"No, not really." said Bruce.

"I think the Chief said something about hiring you after you forced me to let Kitty into my room." Dudley said.

"He did?!" Katrina asked.

"Now that Dudley mentioned it, yeah, he did say that. But I'm still thinking about it." Bruce said.

"Oh." said Katrina. On the inside, she was saying, "_I hope you decide to work at T.U.F.F. someday. I'd really like to get to know you better_."

Around sunset, Katrina got a text from Kitty, saying she was on her way back to the apartment.

"Kitty's coming back." Katrina said.

"We'd better go." Dudley said.

"Do we have to?" Bruce asked. He didn't want to leave Katrina.

"I think it's for the best. I don't want you to go insane listening to my flighty sister go on and on about how wonderful Eric is and how she can't wait till they're married... yada, yada, yada..." Katrina said.

"Yeah, Bruce. I hear enough of that at work, and trust me, it gets _old_ after a while." Dudley said.

"Okay. I'll see you whenever, then." Bruce said to Katrina before following Dudley out the door.

So the boys spent time with Katrina, and she and Bruce wanna get to know each other better. I'm sure they'll do that in future chapters. Stay tuned to find out, and to read more of the story as it continues!


	7. Invited But Not Happy

(A/N: Okay, things have gotten a little bit better, but, unfortunately, it's not gonna last. Either way, let's continue, shall we?)

It had been 3 weeks since Kitty and Eric got engaged. They had the whole wedding planned in that time, and today was the day they mailed the invitations.

Sure enough, when Dudley got home from T.U.F.F., Peg met him at the door.

"Dudley, look! Something for you came in the mail today!" Peg said, showing him a fancy-looking envelope, and it was indeed addressed to him.

"What is it?" Dudley asked as he took the envelope from his mom.

"I don't know. It's your mail. Why don't you open it?" Peg suggested.

Dudley opened the envelope, took out whatever was inside it, and skimmed it quickly. Then he handed it to Peg.

"Oh right." Peg said, remembering that even though Dudley learned how to spell and read a little (that happened in the episode "Spelling Bee"), he was still kind of illiterate.

So Peg read it aloud to him, and she was surprised when she discovered what it was.

"A wedding invitation! Dudley, do you know the bride or groom?" Peg asked.

"The bride." Dudley said.

"How do you know her?" Peg asked.

"Kitty's my partner, Mom. I see her practically every day." Dudley replied, annoyed.

"Are you okay, Dudley?" Peg asked.

Dudley shook his head no.

"What's up?" Bruce asked as he walked into the room.

"Kitty invited me to her wedding." Dudley said, not so happy.

"She did?" Bruce asked.

Dudley nodded, still unhappy.

"Well then, Katrina was right. Kitty wouldn't have invited you if she hated you." Bruce said.

"Brucie, what are you talking about?" Peg asked.

"Mom, please don't call me 'Brucie'. It's embarrassing." Bruce said. Then he added, "I can't believe I forgot to tell you, but I learned why Dudley is in a funk."

"Bruce Puppy! I told you not to say that word!" Peg said, mistaking 'funk' as a bad word that sounded similar.

"I said 'funk', Mom; there's a difference." Bruce corrected her.

"Oh. Okay, I'm listening." Peg said. She felt a little dumb for thinking Bruce said a word she told him he wasn't allowed to say.

"Remember that day Dudley came home and pleaded 'not hungry' to dinner and even turned down dessert?" Bruce began.

"Yes, I remember that." Peg answered.

"Well, that Saturday, while you were running errands, Dudley's other partner, Katrina, who also happens to be Kitty's twin sister, came over." Bruce said.

"You had a girl over while I was out of the house?!" Peg asked, sounding displeased.

"Mom, Dudley may not be the smartest, but like me, he's not stupid when it comes to having girls in the house." Bruce said.

"Fine. So did this girl tell you why Dudley has been acting strange?" Peg asked.

"Yes and no. She told me that Kitty was getting married, and that got Dudley started. That's when I realized that Kitty's engagement is why he's been acting strange." Bruce said.

"Dudley, what's wrong with your friend being engaged?" Peg asked, turning her attention to her younger son.

"It's that... when Kitty gets married, she'll be leaving the country, and she seemed awfully happy to leave. It didn't take long for me to think that she was happy to leave because it meant she wouldn't have to be around me anymore." Dudley said.

"She doesn't like you?" Peg asked.

"NO!" Dudley and Bruce yelled.

"Well, you boys didn't have to yell at me." Peg said.

"Sorry, Mom." the boys apologized.

"Then again, I don't think she really hates you, Dudley, considering she invited you to her wedding. Anyway, as for you Bruce, why didn't you tell me about this sooner?" Peg asked.

"It slipped my mind. And Katrina is an awesome girl..." Bruce said, thinking about Katrina.

"I take it you like her?" Peg asked, not amused.

This snapped Bruce back to reality.

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Bruce said, although he had a good feeling he knew why his mother felt that way.

"Well, you know as well as Dudley that I want my both of my boys to marry someone pretty, and smart, with a good job." Peg explained.

"I hate to say this, Mom, but where have you been since the day you found out that Dudley's a secret agent?!" Bruce began.

"Brucie..." Peg said in a warning tone.

"Mom, _please_ don't call me that, and just listen. Both Kitty and Katrina are pretty and smart, and I'd say that working at T.U.F.F. is a pretty good job, considering that Dudley works there and makes quite a bit of cash. Plus, it keeps him in shape. Besides, I only like Katrina. I didn't say that I wanna marry her." Bruce said.

Peg thought about that.

"I suppose that maybe you're right about Dudley's job being good. Speaking of your brother, I'm more concerned about him right now." Peg said. She asked her youngest son, "You're not upset just because your friend is leaving the country, are you?"

"I don't know. I know I should be happy for Kitty, but I'm not. Even trying to fake happiness for her is hard." Dudley said, disappearing upstairs to his room.

"I'm not saying for sure, but my guess is that he's afraid that he's lost more than a partner, and a lot more than a friend." Bruce said.

"You don't think...?" Peg asked.

"That might be it. And I'm pretty sure that he's not even aware of it himself." Bruce answered. Then he added, "But don't pry. He's already upset enough as it is."

So now Peg knows, and it seems they might've figured out the real reason that Dudley is so upset. What'll happen next? Stay tuned!


	8. Gotta Get Ready

(A/N: Okay, this chapter is the start of a happy day for Kitty, but for Dudley, Katrina, and the rest of us who support DudleyXKitty... not so much. Let's get this over with.)

It was a beautiful spring morning in the city of Petropolis. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the outdoor temperature was just right.

At the Katswell sisters' apartment, Kitty awoke to find sunlight streaming in through her window. She couldn't help smiling when she saw how nice it looked outside.

"Eric and I couldn't have picked a better day to get married!" Kitty excitedly said to herself as she saw that the calendar showed that today was, indeed, the big day for her and Eric.

The first thing Kitty decided to do was take her shower. She practically flew to the bathroom, but when she got there, she nearly plowed into her twin sister, Katrina, who was in her bathrobe and on her way out of the bathroom.

"Hey, watch it!" Katrina said.

"Oops! Sorry, Katrina. I'm just excited!" Kitty said.

"I might've guessed." Katrina said with a sigh. Then she said, "Lucky for you, I just got done. Bathroom's all yours."

"Thanks, sis!" Kitty said. As soon as Katrina left, Kitty quickly jumped into the shower and washed herself good.

Minutes later, Kitty finished her shower, dried off, and put on her robe before making her way to the kitchen.

Not surprisingly, Katrina was already in the kitchen, still in her robe and mindlessly eating a red apple.

"Is that all you're going to have?" Kitty asked as she entered the room.

"Yes. Why?" Katrina asked, taking another bite out of the apple in her hand.

"You normally eat more than just a plain old apple for breakfast." Kitty pointed out, getting a cereal bowl and a glass out of the cupboard.

"I'm not really hungry." Katrina replied.

"You sure?" Kitty asked, pouring herself a bowl of Lucky Charms.

"Yes." Katrina said, finishing the apple and throwing out the core before making her way to their bedroom.

"Hmm..." Kitty said. She shrugged and figured that Katrina was in one of her moods. Those didn't last very long, so she wouldn't be that way during the wedding. After pouring milk on her cereal, she poured herself a glass of juice, then sat down and began to enjoy her breakfast.

Several minutes later, Kitty finished her breakfast, and she decided to wash the cereal bowl and glass before getting dressed.

"I could've done that." Katrina's voice suddenly said as Kitty stood at the sink, washing the small number of dishes.

Startled, Kitty looked up and saw her sister standing there. And what's more, she was already wearing her pink bridesmaid dress with the matching shoes. Around her neck was her favorite cerulean collar with the light blue teardrop.

"You're already in your dress? I thought you were going to put it on at the church." Kitty said.

"I decided to put it on now so I wouldn't forget it." Katrina said, pulling her hair into a ponytail, the way she usually wore it.

"Okay, I guess that's understandable. But I'm putting my dress on at the church." Kitty said.

"Fair enough." Katrina said.

* * *

**Meanwhile, at Dudley's house...**

Dudley Puppy awoke and saw that the sun was shining outside.

"Well, the weather certainly matches Kitty's mood today." Dudley muttered as he got out of bed. He knew that today was the day one of his partners was getting married, and he didn't think he could stand knowing that this was the last day he would see her.

Dudley got out of bed and made his way to the kitchen, where his mom and brother had just finished their breakfasts.

"Good morning, Dudley! What would you like for breakfast?" Peg asked as she stood up.

"Bacon and eggs, without the bacon." Dudley said.

"WHAT?!" Peg asked, shocked.

Bruce had been gathering up the dishes when Dudley said what he wanted, and he almost dropped them on the floor upon hearing that.

"You sure, Dudley? Normally, you have that without the eggs and extra bacon." Bruce said.

"I'm sure." Dudley said.

"Okay, if that's what you really want..." Peg said. She went to the fridge and got out a couple of eggs.

"How do you want your eggs?" Peg asked Dudley.

"What do you mean?" Dudley asked.

"Well, there are several ways to make eggs. You can scramble them, fry them, boil them..." Peg said.

"Surprise me." Dudley said, not caring.

"If that's what you want..." Peg said as she started to make scrambled eggs.

Bruce set the dishes in the sink, and after looking at Dudley with concern, he made his way to the bathroom to shower.

As he showered, he wondered what could have Dudley acting like this. Something that didn't make Dudley happy was happening today.

"_Oh yeah, that's right. His partner is getting married_." Bruce thought. He knew that Dudley was invited, but he didn't know if he was even willing to go.

"_I could offer to go with him, for moral support. He's gonna need it_." Bruce thought. But the more he thought about it, he remembered that the whole thing had Dudley pretty upset.

"_But that's if he decides to go at all. I'll have to talk to him about it and see what he says_." he thought.

When Bruce got out of the shower, he dried off, put on his bathrobe, and went back to the kitchen, where he found Dudley sitting at the table, picking at his eggs.

"_At the rate he's going, he may not wanna go_." Bruce thought as he looked at his forlorn little brother.

But Dudley ate his eggs, and then he said, "I'd better go jump in the shower. If this is the last day I'll ever see Kitty, I might as well be clean."

"You're gonna go?" Bruce asked.

"If I wanna see Kitty before she leaves forever, then yes." Dudley said as he made his way to the bathroom.

"If you want, I could go with you, for moral support. And the invitation said you could bring a friend, right?" Bruce asked.

"But you're my brother." Dudley said, grabbing a towel from the linen closet.

"Either way, I could still go. That is, if you want me to." Bruce said.

Dudley thought for a moment, then said, "Okay. You can come with me. Plus, it gives you a chance to see Katrina, and I'm sure she put the 'bring a friend' thing on the invite so you could come along. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she's the reason you wanted to come with me in the first place."

"_Katrina! I almost forgot about her_!" Bruce thought, shocked that he had forgotten about the girl he really liked. But then he realized that going with Dudley would allow him to see her again, and he thought, "_I can't wait to see her again! And she might be able to help me keep Dudley from losing it_!"

"Actually, Dudley, I was more worried about you, so I wasn't even thinking about Katrina. But now I'll go get ready while you take your shower." Bruce said to his brother.

"Okay." said Dudley, and he stepped into the bathroom to shower.

And that's the end of this chapter. The next one is gonna be the wedding. Oh, that ain't gonna be good, but if you're willing to read this story from start to finish, no matter how difficult it's gonna be... stay tuned.


	9. Can't Object

(A/N: Okay, this is it. This is going to be the hard chapter. But if I don't write it now, I never will. Let's get it started.)

Dudley took a quick shower, and then he put on his tuxedo. He needed a bit of help with his necktie, so Bruce helped him tie it. When they were all set, they got in the car. Then they entered the address of the wedding destination in their GPS system, and it took them right to the parking lot of the church Kitty and Eric chose.

"I wonder if they're here." Bruce said as he looked around the parking lot.

"There's Kitty and Katrina's car. They're definitely here." Dudley pointed to the car that Kitty and Katrina drove.

"Okay. Let's go in." Bruce said.

So the brothers got out of the car and went into the building. They didn't know where Kitty or Katrina were, but at least they were here.

Some of the guests had already arrived, such as Kitty and Katrina's mom. But there were still others that were showing up. Some people Dudley recognized, like Keswick and the Chief. But there were also people he didn't recognize.

"Perhaps the ones you don't recognize are relatives of the bride and groom." Bruce said.

"You're probably right." Dudley muttered.

It was at that point that Eric showed up, but he wasn't in his tuxedo.

"There's the groom." Dudley whispered to Bruce as he pointed at Eric.

"He's kinda ugly. Kitty really wants to marry him?" Bruce whispered as he looked at Eric.

"Yeah, but now I'm confused. He's not wearing his suit. Do you think he got cold feet and decided that he doesn't want to marry Kitty after all?" Dudley asked hopefully.

"No, Dudley. Sometimes, the bride and groom change into their wedding outfits here at the church." Bruce said.

"Oh. Why?" Dudley asked.

"I don't know." Bruce shrugged.

Sure enough, Eric was soon dressed in his tuxedo. With him was his less-attractive brother, Derek, who was also clad in a tuxedo. Derek was the best man.

"This is going to be a bad day." Dudley said as he and Bruce went to sit down.

"It's okay, Dudley. I'm here for you." Bruce said as the groom and best man took their places at the altar, where the minister stood waiting. (A/N: I'm not the minister at this wedding. I can't marry Kitty and Eric when I support DudleyXKitty.)

Then the music started, and Katrina slowly made her way down the aisle. She was trying to look happy, but her smile was not very convincing. Until she saw Dudley. She looked a bit happier at the sight of him, 'cause she thought for sure he wasn't going to show up. She was even happier when she saw Bruce sitting next to him. That made her smile more convincing.

"I think she likes you." Dudley whispered to Bruce, seeing how Katrina's unhappiness turned to happiness the second she laid eyes on him.

"You think so? You really think the most beautiful woman in the entire universe likes me?" Bruce asked, turning slightly pink as he watched the bridesmaid take her place at the altar.

Before Dudley could answer, everyone heard the familiar intro of "Here Comes The Bride". Kitty slowly made her way down the aisle, with the Chief escorting her (he was on his monitor system) like he did at the fake wedding.

"It's possible, but I think Kitty's lovelier than Katrina." Dudley said, looking at Kitty.

Kitty's wedding dress was the same one she wore when Dudley dreamed that he was marrying her. But her hair was done up the way it was when she was planning to impress Eric, only to learn that he had been fired and replaced by Derek when Snaptrap bought T.U.F.F. and tried to make everyone quit.

Then Kitty reached the altar, and the minster began to speak.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join these two souls in holy matrimony." the minister began.

As he went through the usual readings and such, Kitty barely heard what was said. She was too busy looking at Eric and thinking about how handsome he looked in his tuxedo.

"_Oh yeah, the way she's looking at him proves that she's into him because of his looks. That's not going to help at all_." Katrina thought, watching in disgust as Kitty practically drooled over Eric.

At that moment, the minister asked Kitty if she took Eric to be her lawfully wedded husband. Not surprisingly, Kitty eagerly replied, "I do! I do! I do! _I really do_!"

"_Oh, puh-leeze_!" Katrina thought as she facepalmed.

Most of the audience members got a kick out of that, but Dudley and Bruce were disgusted. Dudley let out a quiet growl of frustration, and Bruce thought, "_Katrina was right. Kitty really did sound like a flighty girl half her age_."

"Okay." said the minister, a little surprised, since he didn't expect Kitty's enthusiastic answer. He then turned to Eric and asked him, "Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Eric said, smiling warmly at Kitty, making her blush like a madwoman.

"If anyone here has a reason why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace." the minister said.

Katrina and Dudley wanted so badly to object, but they kept quiet. Katrina knew that if she objected, Kitty would never speak to her again. As for Dudley, he was too upset to say anything. Bruce put an arm around Dudley's shoulders to give him some comfort.

Since no one said anything, the minister said, "By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may-"

That was as far as the minister got, because Kitty leaped on Eric, kissing him. A few seconds later, Eric had his arms around Kitty and started kissing her back.

"Never mind..." the minister said as he left the altar.

Katrina and Dudley were not looking because they did not approve of the marriage. Bruce didn't know what to make of this, but he sensed that the only reason Kitty loved that dweeb was because of his looks. Not a good sign.

"Apparently, when you have looks, that's all you need to find love." Bruce sarcastically muttered to himself, watching the bride and groom kiss the way they were. He sensed that if their looks were what attracted them to the other, this marriage would never last.

Now that Kitty and Eric were married, it was time for the reception. So they all made their way to the room where the reception was being held.

"Hey, guys." Katrina greeted Dudley and Bruce.

"Hi, Katrina." Dudley said, eyes downcast.

"Hello, Katrina." Bruce said. He couldn't believe he was able to talk to her when she was all dressed up and looking so lovely.

"Well, Dudley, I was more than certain that you weren't going to show up." Katrina said.

"I didn't want to, but if today is the last day I'll ever see Kitty, I had to come." Dudley said.

"I see. And you brought Bruce with you." Katrina said.

"I'm here to give him support." Bruce said.

"He's also here to see you." Dudley said.

"I'm mainly here to help Dudley." Bruce said, knowing that he was blushing and hoping it wasn't too noticeable.

"I'm really glad you're here, Dudley. And you too, Bruce." Katrina replied.

"We kinda noticed." Bruce smiled.

"Did you notice how Kitty's been looking at Eric?" Katrina asked the brothers.

"Yeah. She looks at him like he's some kind of big-shot movie star." Dudley grumbled.

"That's not going to help their marriage." Bruce said.

"You think it won't last?" Dudley asked.

"I won't be surprised if it doesn't last a year." Katrina said.

But Dudley, Bruce, and Katrina were polite and congratulated Kitty on her marriage.

"Thanks, guys." Kitty smiled.

Dudley didn't notice it right away, but he did catch it when it came time to have cake, and Kitty handed Dudley a plate with a nice big piece.

"Where is Kitty's "Best Partners" necklace?! I didn't see it on her!" Dudley asked Katrina as he joined her and Bruce at the table they chose to sit at.

"It's in her jewelry box. But don't worry, Dudley, she's taking it with her to Kitaly." Katrina assured him.

"She wouldn't take it if she didn't like you, Dudley." Bruce assured.

"Okay..." Dudley said, but he picked at his cake anyway.

"I'm under the impression that he likes Kitty as more than a friend." Bruce whispered to Katrina.

"You're not alone. I think he loves her, but he hasn't figured it out yet." Katrina whispered back.

Later that night, the newlyweds were ready to leave. Kitty and Eric were saying good-bye to the guests, and Kitty received hugs from her friends and family.

"I'm going to miss you, Kitty." Katrina said as she hugged Kitty.

"I'll miss you, too, but I'm sure Eric and I will visit every now and again." Kitty assured her.

"That's what they all say..." Katrina muttered to herself, certain that that wouldn't be true.

Dudley was the last one to say good-bye to Kitty.

"I'm gonna miss you so much!" Dudley told Kitty as he hugged her tightly.

"Aww! I'll miss you, too, Dudley. You were an awesome partner, and a good friend." Kitty replied as she returned the hug. It helped Dudley feel a little better, but not much, for he didn't want to let go of Kitty. He eventually did, because he knew Kitty would be annoyed if he didn't let go sooner or later.

"Bye!" Kitty and Eric called as they drove to the hotel where they would be spending the night.

Okay, I finally got that one out of the way. I didn't expect it to be as long as it was, though! Stay tuned, though, for the story still isn't done yet!


	10. Married Life Begins

(A/N: Okay, since Eric and Kitty married in that last chapter, let's see how things are going for them now that they're together. This isn't going to be easy...)

The next morning, Eric awoke while it was still dark out, and he turned on the light in the hotel room and gently nudged Kitty.

"Wake up, Kitty. We've gotta get ready to go." Eric said to his new wife.

Kitty's eyelids fluttered, and she awoke, pleased to see Eric by her side.

"So yesterday was more than just a really good dream. It was a dream come true!" Kitty said.

"And it's only getting better. Now hurry up and get dressed." Eric said, pulling on his clothes.

"Why? What's going on?" Kitty asked.

"It's time for us to get ready for our honeymoon." Eric informed her.

"Oh, right!" Kitty said, and she leaped out of bed and quickly grabbed an outfit. As she got dressed, she asked Eric, "So, where are we spending our honeymoon?"

"I thought we might spend it in Paris, the City of Love." Eric said.

"Paris? In France?!" Kitty asked.

"Yes. Is there something wrong with that?" Eric said.

"No! I can't believe we're going to spend our honeymoon in the most romantic city in the world!" Kitty exclaimed, happier than Eric had ever seen her.

"Okay, then; let's get ready!" said Eric.

"Wait a sec! What about the stuff I'm not bringing on the honeymoon?" Kitty asked.

"It's already been shipped to the castle in Kitaly." Eric assured her.

"Oh, okay." Kitty said, relaxed.

After breakfast, the two boarded the plane for Paris, and Kitty still couldn't believe she wasn't dreaming.

"You okay?" Eric asked.

"I still can't believe this isn't a dream." Kitty told him.

"I know. Soon enough, it'll be just the two of us, exploring the City of Love." Eric told her as he slipped an arm around her shoulders.

After a long plane ride, they finally arrived in Paris. They claimed their baggage, rented a vehicle, and drove around, looking for a hotel. They found a nice one to stay in, and after they checked in, they got right to exploring (they weren't even suffering from jet-lag).

They spent 10 days in Paris, and they were completely wonderful. Eric saw to it that whatever Kitty wanted, she got, even if she said she didn't really need it. But Eric insisted, and Kitty couldn't argue with her new husband's logic. They loved the city, and they took lots of pictures. They even saw the Eiffel Tower, and went to the top!

When the honeymoon was over, the couple flew to Kitaly, where they were going to live, and rule as King and Queen.

As soon as they arrived, Kitty was shocked to find a gold limo waiting for them.

"Your Majesties..." the chauffeur greeted the couple with a bow as they stepped into the vehicle.

"I can't wait to see the castle!" Kitty said.

"You're going to love it!" Eric promised her.

On the way to the castle, Kitty would periodically ask, "Are we there yet?" But she would be disappointed, for Eric would say, "Not quite."

It had been almost an hour since they left the airport when Eric told Kitty the words she wanted to hear: "You should be seeing the castle any second now."

"Really?! Where is it?!" Kitty shrieked in excitement, looking out the windows.

"It should be coming up right... about... NOW!" Eric said as the castle came into view.

Kitty looked, and she couldn't believe her eyes. The castle had to be the biggest building she had ever seen in her entire life! She thought Cluckingham Palace was big, but it seemed so small in comparison to this place! And the castle itself appeared to be made of 24-karat gold!

"Oh my gosh..." Kitty said to herself, eyes wide.

"Do you like it?" Eric asked.

"Like it? LIKE IT?! That's the understatement of the century! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT SO MUCH! I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M GOING TO BE LIVING THERE WITH YOU, THE MAN OF MY DREAMS! LIFE WITH YOU JUST GETS BETTER AND BETTER!" Kitty exclaimed. She was close to bursting into tears of joy.

"Anything for you, queen of my heart." Eric told her as he held her close.

(A/N: Remember, I do not support this couple. Writing their mushy dialogue is not an easy chore! I don't want you guys to think I'm actually enjoying this, 'cause I'm not!)

Minutes later, the gates were opened, and the limo drove through. Then the chauffeur parked the car and said, "Here we are."

"Okay, now it's time to go inside." Eric said as he and Kitty got out and grabbed their things from the trunk.

"If the outside looks this good, I can't wait to see the inside!" Kitty said.

"I think you'll like it!" Eric promised her as they approached the front doors. Kitty was trembling with joy as Eric opened the doors. She couldn't wait to see what the castle looked like on the inside. She was sure it would be more beautiful than she could imagine.

As soon as Kitty saw the inside of the castle, she was speechless. Her eyes were as big as dinner plates, her mouth was hanging open, and she looked like she was about to faint.

The inside of the castle gave one the impression that they were looking at the entrance to the afterlife. It was beautiful!

The walls were made of platinum, the high ceiling was made of silver, and the floors were made of white marble.

"Wow..." Kitty gasped when she finally managed to find her voice.

"What do you think?" Eric asked.

"I love it so far..." Kitty managed to say.

"Then let's look around some more." Eric said, slipping an arm around his wife's slim waist as they walked through the castle. Kitty giggled dreamily as she and Eric explored their new home.

The banquet hall was simply stunning! The rectangular table was so incredibly long, and the white tablecloths that covered the table were perfectly straight and spotless! Around the table were more chairs than you could shake a stick at! And there were several big, beautiful, crystal chandeliers hanging over the table.

"Oh my..." Kitty said, eyes sparkling.

The ballroom was well-lit by the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and the room was big enough to hold an entire orchestra, but there'd still be room for thousands of people to dance.

Kitty imagined herself and Eric on the dance floor, holding each other close as the orchestra played a waltz.

"Come! There's still more to see!" Eric reminded, snapping Kitty out of her reverie.

"Oh, right!" Kitty said.

Each room was more amazing than the last, and Kitty still couldn't believe that this was the place she now called 'home'.

Even their bedroom was amazing! The bed was much bigger than an ordinary king-sized bed, and it was made with satin sheets and a velvet bedspread. It was also a four-poster bed. There was even a big fireplace in the room, which would come in handy during the winter. The windows gave them a magnificent view of the kingdom, and they had a big balcony. They even had their own closets.

Kitty ran to her closet and saw the clothes she wore back in Petropolis. There were also some new dresses in there, made of silk, satin, and velvet. There were even ball gowns. Kitty had never seen such beautiful outfits in all her life.

"These dresses...! Where did they...?! I've never seen such...!" Kitty started as she looked through the new outfits next to the ones she already knew about.

"Well, do you remember the time your mom made that dress for you to wear for Christmas?" Eric asked.

"Yeah..." Kitty started.

"She still had your measurements. I asked her for them, and I took them to some tailors here, and they made the outfits for you." Eric said.

Kitty didn't know what to say. She couldn't think of anything to say that she hadn't said yet.

"How did I ever get so lucky?" Kitty asked.

"You were just too irresistible." Eric said, giving Kitty a hug.

"I wonder what other surprises there are?" Kitty asked.

"Why don't you check your jewelry box? It's sitting over there on the dresser where your unmentionables and other outfits are." Eric said.

"Good idea." said Kitty. She walked over to the dresser, opened the jewelry box, and gasped in delight.

Along with the jewelry she'd gotten back in Petropolis, there were new pieces of jewelry, and they were either silver, gold, or platinum, and had tons of rare jewels in them!

"You are the most amazing man I've ever known!" Kitty said, running back to Eric and nearly snapping his neck off as she hugged him.

"I thought you'd like those." Eric smiled.

But there was still one more thing Kitty did not know about: their bathroom. Once she was reminded of this fact, she followed Eric into their bathroom, and she was pleased.

The walls were painted a nice pale blue, and the floor was white ceramic tile. The bathtub was made of gold, and it was huge, and there was also a shower-head, so the couple could take showers if they wanted. The sink and toilet were also made of gold, and hanging beside the tub were Kitty and Eric's bathrobes.

"This is all so amazing! And I'm sharing it with the only man I'll ever truly love!" Kitty exclaimed.

"I love you, too." Eric said, giving Kitty a look that said, "With me, you'll never be unhappy."

That night, the pair sat down to a wonderful meal prepared by the castle chefs (some of the best in the world), and then they spent an hour or so in the ballroom, waltzing together to a CD containing waltzes. When they got tired, they retreated to their bedroom and had a nice, relaxing bath together. Then they got their pajamas on and held each other close as they got under the covers and fell fast asleep.

And I thought that last chapter was hard! I was wrong! THIS was the most difficult chapter to write! But now that I've got it out of the way, maybe KittyXEric will start to fade away, and then I can get to the DudleyXKitty stuff! Please be patient, though!


	11. Bruce Starts Working

(A/N: Let's go back to the day after Kitty and Eric got married. We'll head back to Petropolis to see how Dudley is.)

It was the day after Kitty and Eric's wedding. It was rather cloudy, but it was bound to clear up as the day progressed. Enough about the weather; let's go check on Dudley Puppy and see how he's doing today.

When Dudley awoke, he saw that the sky was cloudy.

"_All it has to do is rain, and it'll match my mood perfectly_." Dudley thought. He really didn't want to go to work today because he knew that Kitty would not be there. It was bad enough knowing that she wasn't his partner anymore, but seeing her excitement about marrying another guy, and leaving with him, hurt more than he ever thought possible.

"I'd better get ready to go to work. The Chief will be mad if I call in sick because he'll know that the only reason I'm sick is because Kitty isn't going to be there." Dudley muttered as he got out of bed.

"What if I went with you?" a voice suggested from behind Dudley.

Startled, Dudley turned to find Bruce standing by his bedroom door, which was slightly ajar.

"Bruce? You don't work at T.U.F.F." Dudley said.

"I was actually thinking of working there sooner or later, and today is as good a day as any to start." Bruce said.

Dudley thought for a moment, and then he said, "You just might get the job. The Chief's probably looking for more agents since Kitty left."

"Then it's settled. Starting today, I'm joining you at T.U.F.F." Bruce said.

As soon as Dudley and Bruce were dressed for the day, they went downstairs to have breakfast. They both had waffles, and after they finished, they were out the door and on their way to T.U.F.F. before you could say, "Hi-gee-gee!"

When they arrived at T.U.F.F., Dudley said, "First things first; we gotta let the Chief know that you wanna work here." And he knocked on the door of the Chief's office.

In the Chief's office, the flea was sitting at his desk, reading one of his tiny romance novels. When he heard somebody knocking, he quickly hid the book behind his back and said, "Who is it?"

"It's me, Chief." Dudley said.

"Come in, Agent Puppy." the Chief said.

The door opened, and Dudley walked in, followed by Bruce.

"Hang on. You look familiar." the Chief said, looking at Bruce.

"I'm Dudley's older brother. My name is Bruce." said Bruce.

"I remember you. You forced Agent Puppy to let Kitty in his room when he used his room as a temporary H.Q." the Chief said.

"I remember that, too. You also said you were thinking of hiring me." Bruce recalled.

"I did. And the offer still stands. You wanna work here?" the Chief asked.

"You bet! Can I start now?" Bruce asked.

"Welcome to T.U.F.F." the Chief said, handing Bruce a badge.

"Thanks!" Bruce said.

"You probably don't need a partner, but it might help you to have some, so you can be partners with Dudley and Katrina." the Chief said.

"I can handle that." Bruce smiled.

"Good. In that case, get to work!" the Chief said.

"Yes, sir!" Bruce saluted, and he followed Dudley out of the Chief's office.

Once both dogs left, the Chief went back to reading his tiny romance novel.

In the main office, Dudley approached an unhappy-looking Katrina. She was sitting at her cubicle and looking forlornly at the empty cubicle to her left. That was where Kitty sat every day, but now she wasn't there anymore.

"Hey, Katrina." Dudley said.

Katrina turned around and saw Dudley standing behind her.

"Oh. Hi, Dudley." Katrina replied.

"Missing Kitty, huh?" Dudley asked.

"Like you wouldn't believe. Working here isn't going to be the same without her." Katrina said.

"I know. I really miss her, too. But we have a new partner now." Dudley told her.

"I don't think anyone could replace my sister, Dudley." Katrina said.

"Nobody can, but he's willing to help." said Dudley.

"He?" Katrina asked.

"He is me." Bruce said as he showed himself.

"BRUCE!" Katrina gasped, forgetting her unhappiness instantly.

"Hello, Katrina." Bruce said, looking really happy to see her.

"So you're working here now?" Katrina asked.

"I am." Bruce told her.

"This is great! I was hoping you'd come and work here." Katrina said.

"You were?" Dudley asked, looking upset.

"What's wrong?" Bruce asked, noticing that his brother looked unhappy.

"Katrina was hoping you'd work here, and you're here the day after Kitty married, so..." Dudley started.

"Dudley, I wasn't saying that I hoped he'd work here to replace Kitty. I was hoping he'd come and work here because we could always use another agent who can catch bad guys and put them in their place." Katrina said.

"Sounds like a job I can do." Bruce said, flexing his muscles.

"_Wow! Bruce is pretty buff! Maybe the bad guys will be too intimidated to try anything once they see how strong he is!_" Katrina thought. She'd noticed that Bruce was muscular when she met him, but she hadn't been thinking about it that much.

"Hey, if you agents are looking for something to do, you're in luck, because we just received intel that F.L.O.P.P. is out there annoying people for no reason! Now get out there and stop them!" the Chief yelled from his office.

The trio snapped to attention when they heard the Chief telling them what was up.

"On it, Chief!" Dudley, Bruce, and Katrina said. They ran out to the T.U.F.F. Mobile, ready to put an end to the trouble that F.L.O.P.P. decided to cause.

"How are we going to find F.L.O.P.P., and what does F.L.O.P.P. even stand for?" Bruce asked as Katrina drove the T.U.F.F. Mobile.

"Simple. To find them, we have to look for a group of people doing something _really_ stupid. That'll be them." Dudley said.

"It took us a while to learn that F.L.O.P.P. stands for 'Fiendish League Of Potential Perpetrators'. They really suck at being villains. But I guess it's better we're dealing with them, rather than somebody else." Katrina said.

It didn't take long. They saw the members of F.L.O.P.P. surrounding someone and saying, "Blah, blah, blah..." really loudly and obnoxiously. Man, it was annoying.

"That's them." Dudley said to Bruce.

"Okay, let's go teach 'em a lesson!" Bruce said, cracking his knuckles.

"Okay!" said Katrina.

"Aren't you coming with us?" Bruce asked.

"I'm going to wait and see if they try anything stupid, like trying to outrun you. Then I can zoom ahead of them to cut them off, and you guys can deal with them as you like." Katrina said.

"Good idea." Dudley said.

Then Dudley and Bruce ran towards the villains, yelling as loud as they could, "SHUT UP, YOU MORONS!"

Upon hearing those words, the members of F.L.O.P.P. went quiet and started looking around. Who said that? And then one of them spotted the fast-approaching T.U.F.F. agents!

"Oh-oh! It's the T.U.F.F. agents! Let's outrun them!" the Meerkat said, so he started running, and the Escape Goat, Fiddler Crab, and Bluffalo were right behind him, and Wanna-Bee was flying as fast as he could. However, they didn't know that when Katrina saw them running she drove after them, then managed to pull ahead in front of them, and Wanna-Bee flew smack into the windshield of the vehicle, knocking himself out cold.

Now they were trapped. They couldn't go forward because of Katrina, and Dudley and Bruce had caught up to them.

"We lose..." Bluffalo moaned.

"Oh, darn it..." Meerkat sighed.

Before the villains knew it, they were beaten senseless by Dudley, Bruce, and Katrina (who scraped Wanna-Bee off the windshield and stuffed him in a jar with air-holes in the lid).

After they dropped off the villains at Petropolis Prison, the trio went back to T.U.F.F. to let the Chief know that the bad guys were finished.

"Good work, T.U.F.F. agents! Now maybe those morons will think twice before acting like idiots!" the Chief praised Dudley, Bruce, and Katrina.

"Thanks, Chief!" the agents said.

During break time, Bruce and Katrina were talking.

"Wow, Brucie! I've never seen anyone as strong as you! The bad guys were no match for you!" Katrina said, eyes sparkling as she looked at Bruce.

"I'm sure there are guys stronger than me." Bruce told her.

"I don't think so. I've seen lots of muscle-bound guys, and they don't look that strong." Katrina replied.

"Huh. Well, the other day, I actually thought you were prettier than Kitty." Bruce said.

"You... did?" she asked, blushing like mad.

"Yeah. And I still think you are." Bruce said.

"And you're so handsome..." Katrina said.

"By the way, I was impressed when you tried to help Dudley feel better that day you came to our house." Bruce told her.

"I don't like seeing him upset any more than you do." Katrina told him.

"Thanks, though. You did help him for a good while." Bruce said.

"What kind of friend would I be to him if I didn't try to cheer him up?" Katrina asked.

"Not a good one." Bruce replied.

Dudley was feeling a little left out, but he didn't care. He missed Kitty. He wished she hadn't left Petropolis. But he knew that if he was the one who left, she wouldn't let his absence get her down. No, she'd continue to do her best as a T.U.F.F. agent, so he decided that he'd do that.

And that weekend, he and Bruce went to Katrina's to help her with her video games, like they'd promised her.

"We should start with the easy games, and work our way up." Bruce suggested.

"Why can't we start with "Donkey Kong" and "Donkey Kong Jr."? Those were both pretty short." Dudley said.

"Oh, Kitty and I have played the arcade version of "Donkey Kong" in a Nintendo 64 game." Katrina recalled.

"The 2nd level wasn't on the NES version, and that's what you'll play on the NES Classic Edition." Dudley said.

"I'm sure I can make it through that one." Katrina said. And she did.

With that game out of the way, they started the sequel, and it took Katrina a few tries before she was able to get through it.

"Great job!" Bruce praised Katrina.

"Thanks!" Katrina smiled.

"Now let's play the game that made Nintendo awesome!" Dudley said.

"Dudley, I wanna take a break first. "Super Mario Bros." looks like a fun game, but I really think I should take a break before I start another game." Katrina said.

"Aw, come on. The game isn't that long." Dudley said.

"How many levels are in it?" Katrina asked.

"There's 8 worlds, with 4 levels in each one." Dudley said.

"That's 32 levels." Katrina mumbled, quickly doing the math in her head. Then she asked, "Can I please take a break? I'll watch you play first."

"Fair enough. You'll probably learn best that way." Dudley said as he started the game.

"That's how he tries to help his friends with games he knows but they don't. He shows them how it's done." Bruce explained to Katrina.

"It's almost like watching a walkthrough, but I'm still going to need help when I actually play the games." Katrina said.

"Dudley and I will help you. We'll even bring our strategy guides, 'cause those can be a big help, too." Bruce promised.

"I know. You told me that you would that time you came over here while Kitty was out planning the wedding." Katrina recalled.

"You helped Dudley feel better about Kitty. Now we want to help you." Bruce said.

"You're really amazing, Bruce." Katrina said, resting her head upon his shoulder as she watched Dudley play the game. And Bruce made no attempt to move her head from his shoulder.

When Dudley was halfway through the game, he turned to hand the controller to Bruce on the off-chance he wanted to play, and that was when he noticed how close the two were. Why couldn't he and Kitty have been like that?

Wait a sec! Where did _that_ thought come from? He liked Kitty as a friend, but he didn't think he liked her in the way that Bruce and Katrina seemed to like each other.

"_I really do miss her, but I never thought I'd miss her this much_!" Dudley thought. He immediately tried to put his thoughts of Kitty at the back of his mind as he asked Bruce, "Care to play the last half of the game and explain the stuff to Katrina?"

"Yeah." said Bruce as he took the controller and started playing the game.

What a chapter! Bruce is working at T.U.F.F., and he and Katrina are getting along pretty well! When we return, we'll rejoin Kitty and see how the royal life is treating her.


	12. Not What She Thought

(A/N: And so we have made it to Chapter 12! I can't believe that we've made it this far! Let's get this chapter going!)

It had been 3 months since Kitty and Eric married and moved to Kitaly. However, the happiness Kitty thought she'd experience was becoming nonexistent. Only a week after their arrival in Kitaly, things changed, and they changed fast.

Kitaly was a new kingdom, and Eric was busy doing all sorts of things around the kingdom. He also had to leave the kingdom at times, and meet with rulers of other kingdoms (all of whom never came to Kitaly). But all the while, he wished he could be with Kitty. He didn't marry her just so he could leave her to deal with the kingdom all by herself.

Kitty was also frustrated. As much as she wanted to join Eric when he had to visit other kingdoms, she was told to stay in Kitaly, because at least one of the rulers had to stay there. Plus, if that wasn't enough, there were the royal council meetings, which Kitty hated. She never liked attending those meetings, since she never knew what to say or suggest, and they were so boring she found herself close to nodding off each time.

Then there were the documents that required a signature from one of the rulers. If there was one thing Kitty hated most about royal life, it was those. Those made doing the paperwork at T.U.F.F. about as fun as a trip to Busch Gardens. The print on those documents was so small, Kitty needed a microscope to read the words. And more often than not, she got a headache from trying to read those and had to go lie down. Plus, they all had a quick deadline, so she often ended up signing them without a chance to properly read the fine print.

One afternoon, Kitty was lying in bed, trying to recover from yet another one of the headaches she had received. Eric was yet again meeting with the rulers of another kingdom, leaving his queen in Kitaly with royal council meetings and documents she would never be able to read.

"I just don't get it! I thought being married to Eric and ruling a kingdom with him would be... well... not like this! He's hardly ever here, and I'm stuck here in the castle with these boring royal council meetings and documents I can't read! Things weren't like this back in Petropolis! Since we came here, we've been seeing each other less than we did back when were weren't married and still lived in Petropolis." Kitty said to herself.

Kitty started to think back to her life in Petropolis. She found that she really missed it. She missed Katrina and her job at T.U.F.F., but she found herself missing Dudley more than anything. Even though he had the tendency to drive her up the wall and back down again, she still thought of him as her best friend.

She kept thinking about her life in Petropolis as she allowed herself to nap away the headache she'd gotten...

Then she awoke an hour later. Still unable to stop thinking about Petropolis, Kitty decided to find out how things were since she left. She got up, went over to the phone, picked it up, and dialed Katrina's cell phone number.

Back in Petropolis, Katrina heard her cell phone ringing. She answered it after the second ring.

"Hello?" Katrina said.

"Katrina, it's me, Kitty." Kitty replied.

"Kitty? My sister, Kitty? The Kitty who worked with me at T.U.F.F. and then quit when she married someone who took her away to a country that was shaped like her head? The Kitty I haven't heard from in about 10 years?! _That_ Kitty?" Katrina asked.

"Yes. But what do you mean 'in about 10 years'? It's only been a few months since I left Petropolis." Kitty said.

"No, Kitty. It's been 10 years since you left!" Katrina said.

"Really?" Kitty asked.

"Yes." said Katrina.

"_Wow, time really does fly_..." Kitty thought. But then she asked her sister, "So, how are things in Petropolis?"

"Oh, some things have stayed the same, but there are differences. I'm still working at T.U.F.F., and the bad guys still like to go out and cause mayhem." Katrina replied.

"How's Dudley?" Kitty asked.

"Dudley?" Katrina asked.

"Our partner. Or at least I think he's only your partner since I moved here." Kitty said.

"I was afraid of this..." Katrina muttered to herself. She didn't want to talk about Dudley, but she knew that Kitty would not let go until she told her, so Katrina took a deep breath and said, "He's... been better."

Kitty gasped. She knew exactly what that particular phrase meant!

"DUDLEY'S DEAD?!" Kitty screamed.

"You care about him?" Katrina asked.

"I never stopped!" Kitty said.

"We thought you did. You're the one who did him in, after all." Katrina replied.

"I did him...? How am _I_ responsible for his death?! I'd _never_ do that to Dudley, or anyone else, for that matter!" Kitty yelled.

"When you accepted Eric's proposal, you broke Dudley's heart." Katrina said.

"He was heartbroken?" Kitty asked.

"He loved you, Kitty. More than any of us ever knew." Katrina said.

"If he loved me, why didn't he say anything?" Kitty asked.

"He had several reasons. One was the fact that ever since you got engaged, all you talked about was 'Eric this', or 'Eric that', or 'I can't believe I'm going to be the Queen of Kitaly while the king is none other than ERIC!' I'm not kidding! It made us sick! But anyway, back to Dudley's reasons. He was afraid that telling you would result in you laughing or turning him down. Still, those were nothing compared to his worst fears: and that was either you telling him to put the idea out of his head because it could never work out, or agreeing to be in a relationship with him, only to sabotage it to make him realize that you and him were never meant to be!" Katrina said.

"I'd never do something that awful to Dudley. I'd do it to Snaptrap in a heartbeat, but never to Dudley..." Kitty whimpered, tears in her eyes.

"That's true. But he didn't know, and neither did the rest of us. But the main reason he didn't say anything was because although he loved you, he knew that Eric made you happy. He cared about your happiness more than anything, so he let you go. He knew that letting you go would seal his fate, but he did it anyway. About six months after you left, he was gone." Katrina told her.

"You don't sound that upset." Kitty noted.

"I've learned to live without him, even though it still hurts, but the pain isn't as excruciating as it was in the beginning." Katrina said. Then she asked, "So, how's life in Kitaly?"

"Not so good. Eric's always busy handling stuff in the kingdom, and visiting other kingdoms, meeting with other rulers and such. As for me, I'm stuck here with nothing to do but attend boring meetings with the royal council, and sign documents I never have time to read through." Kitty said.

"You think marrying Eric was a mistake?" Katrina asked.

"I wish I had foreseen this. Then I wouldn't be in this mess." Kitty said.

"I know. If only we could change the past, but look at what Dudley said happened when he set time back to get that donut before you did." Katrina said.

"I really wish I hadn't done what I did..." Kitty said, feeling awful about what she had done...

Suddenly, Kitty opened her eyes to find herself lying on the bed. She wasn't on the phone, either.

"Was that really just a dream?" Kitty asked herself. She had to find out.

She jumped out of bed, picked up the phone, and dialed Katrina's cell phone number, praying that she had just had a bad dream.

When Katrina heard Kitty's voice, she was quite happy to hear from her sister, considering it had been 3 months since she left.

"3 months? Not 10 years?" Kitty asked.

"Yeah... What made you think 10 years have passed?" Katrina asked.

"It feels like that to me." Kitty replied.

"Oh." Katrina replied.

"Is Dudley alright?" Kitty asked.

"Odd that you mention him. You hardly spoke to him during the time between your engagement and the wedding. You did talk to him when he said good-bye to you after the wedding, though. Still, he's fine. He misses you more than the rest of us, but he's okay." Katrina said.

"_Thank goodness_..." Kitty thought., feeling immense relief. Then she told Katrina what life in Kitaly was like.

"You think you made a mistake when you accepted his proposal?" Katrina asked.

"If I had known that this was going to be my life when I married him, I would've said something else." Kitty said.

"What do you plan to do?" Katrina asked.

"Well, if and when he gets back, I plan to tell him what I'm feeling, and perhaps we can head back to Petropolis as a divorced couple, but perhaps he and I can still be friends." Kitty said.

"That could work. I wish you the best of luck with that." Katrina said.

"Thanks, Katrina. It was good to talk to you." Kitty said.

"It was good hearing from you, sis." Katrina replied.

Then the sisters hung up.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door of the bedroom.

"Come in." Kitty called.

The door opened, and in walked one of the servants, who said, "My Lady, we just received word from the King. He says he will be home tomorrow evening, in time for supper."

"Thank you for letting me know." Kitty said as the servant turned and left. That gave her time to figure out how to tell Eric what she needed to say.

And she'll be doing just that in the following chapter! Stay tuned for that, 'cause the KittyXEric segment is coming to a close!


	13. I Wanna Go Home

(A/N: Okay, this is the last chapter involving any signs of KittyXEric. After this, we'll get closer to the DudleyXKitty stuff. So let's get this show on the road!)

The following day had arrived. Eric would be arriving home in time for supper. The castle cooks had prepared a marvelous feast for the King's return.

While everyone was excited about Eric's return, Kitty was not showing any excitement like she had in the past. She had spent the remainder of yesterday and much of the day trying to figure out what she was going to say to Eric. She imagined that her words would make him mad, or sad, or just disappointed. What could she say, and would he understand?

Kitty was still trying to figure out how to word what she needed to tell him as she made her way to the banquet hall, where the table was set, and the food was being set on the table.

Suddenly, one of the maids rushed into the room. Seeing Kitty, she said, "My Queen, the King has returned!"

"Oh! Thanks for telling me." Kitty said as she turned and walked to the main room, where she knew Eric would be.

Sure enough, Eric was making his way to the banquet hall when he saw Kitty show up.

"Kitty! My queen!" Eric exclaimed as he ran to her and swept her into his arms.

"Eric! I'm so glad to see you!" Kitty said. She was happy to see him, but now she had to figure out just what she was going to say.

"Well, this is different. Usually, you're the picture of ecstasy when I return. Are you okay?" Eric asked, noticing that Kitty wasn't as happy as she usually was to see him. The previous times, she'd practically glomped him as soon as he arrived.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Kitty said.

"Are you sure?" Eric asked.

"Yes. It's just... we need to talk." Kitty told him.

"Right now?" Eric asked.

"No, not right now. Maybe later tonight." Kitty said.

"How about after supper? I'm starved." Eric said.

"Sounds good." Kitty said.

So the king and queen made their way to the banquet hall, and everyone sat down to a wonderful feast.

The food was good, and everyone was happy. They listened as Eric told about his time in another kingdom. But Kitty's mind was elsewhere. She was still trying to figure out how to word what she needed to say. It practically killed her appetite, as she hadn't even put any food on her plate.

It was then that Eric noticed his wife.

"Are you alright, Kitty?" Eric asked.

"Of course I am. Why do you ask?" Kitty asked nervously.

"Your plate is empty, but you're usually hungry when it's time for dinner. You're not coming down with anything, are you?" Eric asked, a little concerned.

"No. I'm fine. See?" Kitty said, and she quickly put some fish on her plate and ate it to prove her point.

"Okay..." Eric said. He didn't believe that she was alright, but he didn't say so. He knew that he and Kitty needed to talk. Maybe that's what had her down. He didn't know it, but he was right.

After the meal, everyone went back to doing their own thing.

"Now we should be able to talk." Eric said.

"I'm glad you said that, 'cause I didn't know how to tell you that we need to." Kitty said.

"Let's head up to our room for some privacy." Eric said.

So the King and Queen retreated to their bedroom, where they'd be able to talk amongst themselves in peace.

"So, what's on your mind?" Eric asked.

"A lot, Eric. I just don't know how to say it..." Kitty said.

"It's okay. Just say what you feel. I'll understand." Eric assured her.

"Okay." said Kitty. She took a deep breath, then got ready to tell Eric how she felt.

"This isn't easy for me to say. When you asked me to marry you, I wasn't thinking when I accepted your proposal. I was thrilled that you wanted me as your queen, and even more flattered that Kitaly is in the shape of my head, but... I'm not cut out for the royal life! I wasn't born and raised to be a queen!" Kitty said.

"I don't think I like being a king, either. Ever since we became royalty, we've been seeing each other less and less. Less than we'd see each other back in Petropolis." Eric said.

"I know. You're hardly around, and when you're away, I'm stuck here with these boring royal council meetings, and these documents I really don't get to read. I have to sign them without knowing what they're for, or about." Kitty said.

"And meeting rulers of other kingdoms is such a bore. It wouldn't kill them to come here to meet us for once." Eric said.

"Not only that, but the worst part is: we barely even know each other. I thought you were gonna ask me out when you really planned to propose when Dudley and I had to fake a wedding. Speaking of Dudley, I really miss him, and Katrina, and my life back in Petropolis. I... I wanna go back. I hope you understand..." Kitty explained.

"I understand completely, Kitty. We rushed into things without thinking, so we were both in the wrong. I take it this marriage is over?" Eric asked.

"Yes. But I don't see why we can't be just friends. Would that be okay?" Kitty asked.

"I'd like that." Eric smiled.

"Tomorrow, we'd better let the kingdom know that Kitaly is going back to the way it was before you bought it, and we'll pack our things, head back to Petropolis, and get back to our former lives. But this time, we'll just be friends and nothing more." Kitty said.

"Sounds like a plan." Eric said.

With that, the soon-to-be-divorced couple called it a night and went to sleep. Tomorrow would be a busy day, and they'd need lots of rest.

Now the KittyXEric stuff is finally done (and about time, too)! After this, the DudleyXKitty stuff should come in bit by little bit. Stay tuned if you wanna see it!


	14. Home Again

(A/N: Wow! Already we're at Chapter 14! Let's get this one started before the suspense gets to be too much!)

After breakfast the following morning, Kitty and Eric made the announcement to the kingdom that Kitaly was to be no more, for they were getting a divorce.

The people of the kingdom were shocked that the rulers were going to split up after only 3 months of marriage, but they handled it well. Kitaly was part of another country when Eric bought it, after all.

Right after that, Kitty and Eric had their marriage annulled. Now they were ex-husband and wife.

"Well, that's that." Eric said.

"Yeah." Kitty replied.

Neither could think of anything more to say for a moment, but then Kitty said, "We should probably start packing."

"Right. Let's do that." Eric said.

The former rulers spent the rest of the day packing their belongings. Kitty sold the dresses and jewelry Eric had given her, and that helped her earn back the life savings she'd lost, and then some.

They knew that they wouldn't be able to bring everything on the plane, so most of their belongings were shipped back to Petropolis. What Kitty wasn't taking on the plane was shipped back to the apartment where she and Katrina lived, and Eric's stuff was shipped to his brother, Derek.

By the time they were ready to go, it was late at night. No way were they going anywhere at that hour.

"Perhaps we should leave in the morning." Eric said.

"Yeah." said Kitty.

So they went to bed together for the last time.

Bright and early the next day, Kitty and Eric ate breakfast in the castle for the final time, then got on the plane back to Petropolis. Most of their belongings had been shipped back to Petropolis over night.

After a long plane ride, Kitty and Eric finally made it back to Petropolis. The first thing Kitty did was notify Katrina, letting her know that she was back.

"You're back?! This is great! By the way, your stuff arrived not too long ago. It's all here in the apartment, safe and sound." Katrina said.

"Eric and I are going to claim our baggage, and then Eric's going to bring me back to the apartment building, and I'll see you then." Kitty said.

"Okay, Kitty. I'll be right outside, waiting for you." Katrina promised.

Kitty and Eric spoke to each other for a bit as Eric drove to the apartment building.

"Was it really a mistake?" Eric asked.

"It was basically our looks that attracted us to one another. Looks aren't enough when it comes to love." Kitty told him.

"Right. Looks aren't enough when it comes to love. What were we thinking?" Eric said.

"Neither of us were thinking, Eric." Kitty told him.

In a matter of minutes, Eric pulled up outside of the apartment building, where Kitty saw Katrina waiting for her.

"Kitty!" Katrina exclaimed, glad to see her sister again. She snatched the door open and had Kitty in an embrace before Kitty could do anything.

"I missed you too, Katrina." Kitty replied, returning the hug, happy to be back in Petropolis.

"Let's get your stuff out of the trunk." said Katrina as she let go of Kitty.

Kitty got out of the car and opened the trunk, getting her things out with a little help from her sister. Once the girls had Kitty's things, Kitty waved to Eric, and he waved back, waiting until the sisters were back in the building before driving away.

"So, what do you wanna do first?" Katrina asked as they made their way to their apartment.

"I'd like to unpack my stuff." Kitty said.

"Are you going to come back to T.U.F.F.?" Katrina asked.

"Sure. You know I missed working there." Kitty smiled.

"Great!" said Katrina. Then she said, "I forgot to tell you, but Dudley and I have a new partner. It's Dudley's older brother, Bruce Puppy. He knows you, but I don't know if you remember him." Katrina said.

"I remember Bruce. I met him when Dudley wouldn't allow me into his room back when the mayor closed down T.U.F.F." Kitty said as she and Katrina entered their apartment, where Kitty found the boxes of her things that had been shipped back.

"He mentioned that to me." Katrina said.

"Sorry I didn't tell you about him when I met him. Since you were off work that week, it didn't seem necessary, especially since T.U.F.F. was back in business by the time you came back to work." Kitty said.

"It's okay, Kitty. I wasn't mad at you. In fact, I met him the week you got engaged. Back when Eric came over and you two were supposed to plan the wedding, I left to visit Dudley. Bruce was there, and that's how we met." Katrina explained.

"Oh." said Kitty. Then she decided to ask, "So, Bruce is working at T.U.F.F. now, eh? How is he at catching villains?"

"He's really good. And he's strong! The bad guys are afraid to get close to him because he can totally kick their butts!" Katrina exclaimed.

"And in general?" Kitty asked.

"He's really nice and friendly. He also cares about Dudley, even if Dudley gets on his nerves at times. Not only that, he's also incredibly good-looking. I've never met a guy quite like him. He's so amazing..." Katrina said with a lovesick sigh.

"Are you in love with him?" Kitty asked.

"Who said I was in love with him?" Katrina asked.

"You made it pretty obvious, the way you described him." Kitty smirked.

"Well, he is all those things!" Katrina said.

"Does he know you feel that way?" Kitty asked.

"I'm not sure..." Katrina said.

"Do you and him know each other fairly well?" Kitty asked.

"Better than you and Eric did when you got engaged." Katrina said.

"Just checking." Kitty said.

The two sisters continued to talk as Kitty started to unpack her things.

"Dudley still misses me?" Kitty asked.

"You bet he does. He tries not to say it or show it, but he really does miss you." Katrina said.

"Perhaps I should give him a call." Kitty said.

"How about you surprise him when you come back to T.U.F.F. instead?" Katrina suggested.

"Didn't you tell him I was coming back?" Kitty asked.

"Nope. If I did that, he'd probably react the way you did when you got engaged, and we'd have to ready ourselves for Round 2 of Extreme Excitement." Katrina said.

"Good point. I think I'll take your advice and surprise him when I ask the Chief for my job back." said Kitty.

"Great! Let's just get you settled in once more." Katrina said.

And by the next chapter, Kitty should be ready to return to T.U.F.F. How will Dudley react? I'm not telling! You have to stay tuned in order to find out!


	15. She's BACK!

(A/N: Okay, now Dudley and Kitty will be reunited. I'm going to get this chapter started so you don't have to wait any longer!)

Since Kitty returned on a Saturday, she was able to relax quite a bit on Sunday. It also gave her and Katrina the opportunity to catch up on each other's lives.

When Monday morning came, Kitty and Katrina got up, ate breakfast, got dressed, and drove to work.

"So, how does it feel to be returning to work?" Katrina asked.

"It feels great! I'm going to do something I enjoy, rather than attending boring meetings and signing stupid documents I was never able to read!" Kitty grinned, and she and Katrina laughed together.

When they arrived at T.U.F.F., they went straight to the Chief's office.

"Kitty! You're back?! I thought you and Eric were supposed to live happily ever after in Kitaly. What happened?" the Chief asked, surprised to see Kitty.

"Eric and I couldn't make it work because we knew next to nothing about the other. And we saw each other less and less because royal life isn't all it's cracked up to be. So we divorced." Kitty said.

"I'm sorry to hear that. So, are you here to get your job back? 'Cause if that's the case, I'll be glad to re-hire you." the Chief said.

"Yes. Am I still allowed to work with my sister and Dudley?" Kitty asked.

"Of course, and I'm sure Katrina already mentioned that Dudley's brother is working here, too, as their partner." the Chief said.

"I told her." Katrina replied.

"Good. In that case, welcome back to T.U.F.F." the Chief said, handing Kitty her badge.

"Thanks, Chief." Kitty replied.

Then Kitty and Katrina exited the Chief's office, and the Chief started reading yet another one of his tiny romance novels.

Once the girls were back in the main office, Katrina looked around for a moment before spotting Dudley and Bruce, who were hard at work in their cubicles.

"There they are. Let's go!" Katrina said, grabbing Kitty's arm and pulling her over to the brothers.

"They're going to be surprised." Kitty whispered to Katrina.

"I know." Katrina whispered back.

"Hey guys!" Katrina greeted as she stood behind the brothers.

The brothers turned to see Katrina. They couldn't see Kitty, 'cause Katrina was in front of her.

"Hi, Katrina," Dudley greeted.

"What's up, Katrina?" Bruce asked.

"I brought someone I'd like you both to meet." Katrina replied.

"Who is it?" Dudley asked.

"Let's meet this person." said Bruce.

Katrina stepped aside, and Dudley and Bruce saw Kitty.

"Well, I'll be!" said Bruce, surprise in his voice.

"Kitty! Is it really you?" Dudley asked, shocked beyond belief.

"Yes, Dudley. I'm back." Kitty replied, readying herself for his reaction.

Dudley leaped up and hugged Kitty tightly, tighter than he did when he told her he missed her in the episode "Dog Daze".

"I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!" Dudley exclaimed.

"I can't breathe..." Kitty gasped, not prepared for the way he reacted.

"Sorry..." Dudley replied, loosening his grip.

Once Kitty caught her breath, she hugged Dudley back and said, "I missed you too."

Dudley felt a spark in his heart when he felt Kitty hugging him back. He felt better than he had in a long time.

"Hey, Kitty. Do you remember me?" Bruce asked, holding out his hand.

"Bruce! It's great to see you again!" Kitty said, taking his hand.

"So, what brings you back to Petropolis?" Bruce asked as he and Kitty shook hands.

"Yeah, I thought you and Eric were going to be ruling Kitaly for the rest of your lives." Dudley said.

"I wasn't cut out for the royal life. Plus, Eric and I knew nothing about one another. I was also starting to miss life here in Petropolis." Kitty explained.

"I'm sorry your marriage didn't work out, Kitty. But it's so good to see you again." Dudley said, still unable to believe his partner had returned.

"It feels good to be back." Kitty replied, smiling.

At break time, Dudley noticed something else about Kitty.

"I see you're wearing your half of our 'Best Partners' necklace." Dudley said.

"I actually put it back on after my shower the night Eric and I divorced." Kitty told him.

"You also wore it every day before the wedding." Dudley pointed out.

"I did, because I usually feel naked without it." Kitty said.

"Even when you're dressed?" Dudley asked.

"Yes, Dudley. Even then." Kitty replied.

By the end of the day, Dudley, Bruce, Kitty, and Katrina had stopped bad guys faster than ever, and Dudley hadn't wanted to leave Kitty's side. It was no easier for him when it was time to go home.

"It's time to go already?!" Dudley asked.

"Yes, Dudley. Come on, we've gotta go home." Bruce said.

"Aww, but I don't wanna leave Kitty. She just got back, and I really missed her." Dudley said.

"Dudley, you'll see me tomorrow." Kitty assured him.

"I know, but... I felt so lonely, even though I had Katrina and Bruce to work with during the months you were away." Dudley said.

"I know, Dudley. But I'm back to stay." Kitty assured him.

After several more minutes, Dudley reluctantly left Kitty's side.

"See you tomorrow, Dudley." Kitty promised as she and Katrina drove home.

"I'll see you then, Kitty." Dudley replied as he and Bruce made their way home.

And so ends Kitty's first day back. Dudley was over the moon upon seeing Kitty. Stay tuned, 'cause there will be DudleyXKitty moments coming up!


	16. Apologies Accepted

(A/N: So Kitty has returned, and Dudley is happier than we've seen him in this story! Let's see how things are going now.)

It had been 2 weeks since Kitty returned to Petropolis, and her job at T.U.F.F. Never had Dudley been so happy. But it also made him reluctant to leave Kitty's side. And even though Kitty noticed, she didn't mind. She knew that Dudley had really missed her.

Also, Dudley and Kitty greeted each other with a hug each day. They also hugged each other before heading home at the end of every day.

One day, while they were on break, Dudley realized that there was something he hadn't done yet. It was something he wanted to do ever since she got engaged, but he hadn't been able to. Now was as good a time as any to do it.

"Kitty, I have something I need to say." Dudley began.

"What is it, Dudley?" Kitty asked.

"I'm really sorry for all the times I did you wrong. I never meant to hurt you or make you angry or anything like that." Dudley said.

"It's okay, Dudley. I forgave you a long time ago." Kitty said.

"You did?" Dudley asked.

"Yup." Kitty replied with a smile.

"Even after I destroyed your life savings? I never meant to do that, and I promise I'll pay you back as soon as I can." Dudley said.

"Dudley, it's been taken care of. When Eric and I were getting divorced, I sold the clothes and jewelry he gave me, and I got all that money back. So don't worry about it, okay?" Kitty told him.

"Okay." Dudley said. Then he added, "I'm also really sorry about Halloween, when I kept calling you a black cat, even though anyone can see that you're tan. I also apologize for refusing to give up the candy to the zombies when they had us cornered in the (empty) Candy Reserve."

"Dudley, it's water under the bridge. Forgiven and forgotten." Kitty assured him. She added, "I also remember that time you said you wouldn't want to have anyone but me as a partner."

"And I meant it. I wasn't lying about that, even though I lied about other things, and I'm sorry for having done so." Dudley said.

"And I'm sorry for the times I wronged you. Like that time I ate your candy bar without asking you first. I shouldn't have done that." Kitty said.

"You apologized for that already. And I forgave you for it. But I think you deserved it, since I ate things that belonged to you before that time." Dudley said.

"You were forgiven for those times. Including the times you were blaming me for things that were entirely your fault. Heck, I even forgave you for using a spritzer bottle on me when you were trying to help me relax. I wasn't even trying to relax, and I apologize for being so difficult. But I'm really sorry for almost letting you, Keswick, and the Chief die when the Chameleon turned himself into a spritzer bottle." Kitty said.

"You overcame your fear, though." Dudley said.

"'Cause if I let you die, I'd never forgive myself. Ever." Kitty told him, thinking back to the dream she had. She'd felt awful when she'd gotten the bad news about Dudley.

"You really mean that?" Dudley asked.

"You're more than my partner, Dudley. You're my best friend. If anything happened to you, I'd probably go out of my mind." Kitty told him, meaning every word as she gave him a hug.

"I feel the same way, Kitty." Dudley replied, returning the hug.

Their closeness didn't go unnoticed by Bruce and Katrina.

"I haven't seen Dudley this close to anyone before. He wasn't this close with Becky and Daisy when he was seeing them." Bruce pointed out to Katrina.

"You know what they say, Bruce: absence makes the heart grow fonder." Katrina reminded him.

"I know, but I didn't know it was that fond. Then again, Dudley has a pretty big heart, and he felt really bad about the times he did Kitty wrong." Bruce said.

"Yeah, I think by spending all this time with her, he's trying to show her how sorry he is for the bad times in the past." Katrina said. Then she said, "Then again, I noticed that Kitty hasn't tried to push Dudley away from her. And she did ask about him when she called me for the first time since the wedding."

"She did?" Bruce asked.

"Yeah. One would've assumed that she had developed feelings for him, in spite of the fact that she was a 'supposedly happily' married woman, but judging by how much Dudley missed her, I'd say he's the one with the feelings." said Katrina.

"That's true. He was really upset about Kitty leaving when she got engaged. But with Kitty letting him stay close to her, I'd say that she feels the same way." Bruce said.

"Only time will tell, Bruce. 'Cause there's no way they're going to tell us anytime soon." Katrina said.

Yes, time will tell, and it should be soon. But we learn that Dudley was forgiven for the times he wronged Kitty in the past. And Kitty even apologized for one of the times she did him wrong. That's a hint of DudleyXKitty, even if it's very small. Stay tuned for more hints!


	17. Thankful For Love

(A/N: I still can't believe how long this story is! It's got more than I expected to put in! Let's get this chapter started and see what's going to happen now!)

It was late November in the city of Petropolis. Thanksgiving was right around the corner, and the T.U.F.F. agents were hard at work, putting the bad guys behind bars. Now they wouldn't be able to cause trouble on Thanksgiving, and the citizens could be thankful for that. Say, let's head on over to T.U.F.F. and check up on agents!

Well, it was actually time for the agents to go home, and it was the night before Thanksgiving.

"Man, I wish we could spend the holiday together. I hate being away from you for long." Dudley said to Kitty.

"I know, Dudley, but I thought you'd be happy about tomorrow. You know that tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and that brings a feast that you'd enjoy more than the Grinch would." Kitty reminded him.

"It'd be more fun if I could spend it with you. I'd be thankful for that, because I'm thankful for you. I'm thankful to have you in my life." Dudley said as he hugged Kitty.

"I'm thankful to have you in my life, too, Dudley. I'm gonna miss you during our time off, but maybe we'll see each other over the weekend, and you and Bruce can help me and Katrina with video games." Kitty told him, returning the hug.

Bruce and Katrina were also finding it difficult to leave the other's side.

"Is there anything you're thankful for, Bruce?" Katrina asked Bruce.

"Yeah. I'm thankful for the fact that I've finally worked up the courage to do something I've been wanting to do for a while now." said Bruce.

"Courage? But you're so brave when we go out and stop bad guys who are bent on destroying the world... and us. Why do you need courage?" Katrina asked.

"So I can do this." Bruce said, and with that last word no more than spoken, he pulled Katrina into his arms and kissed her on the lips.

Katrina was surprised when she realized what Bruce was doing, and she practically melted into his arms right there on the spot.

A few minutes later, the kiss ended.

"Oh, Brucie..." Katrina swooned.

"What?" Bruce asked, surprised.

"Katrina, you shouldn't have done that..." Dudley said.

"Why? What's wrong?" Kitty asked.

"Bruce doesn't like being called-" Dudley started, but he was interrupted when Bruce said, "Actually, Dudley, she can call me 'Brucie' if she wants to."

"What?! But you _hate_ being called-" Dudley tried again, but Bruce once again interrupted, saying, "No, it's okay if Katrina does it."

"He hates when Mom calls him 'Brucie', yet he says that it's okay for Katrina to do that. What is he saying?" Dudley asked Kitty in a whisper.

"Keep listening, and we might hear why." Kitty whispered, although she had a pretty good idea as to why Bruce felt the way he did.

"What's going on?" Katrina asked, snapping out of her stupor.

"It took courage to kiss you like that. I'm hoping you might have figured out why I did that." Bruce said.

"Are you saying...?" Katrina started.

"I love you, Katrina baby. I wouldn't have kissed you like that if I didn't love you. I've never kissed a girl the way I did you." Bruce said, still holding Katrina close to him.

"Brucie say what?" Katrina asked, looking surprised.

"I love you." Bruce told her.

"You do?" Katrina asked, eyes wide.

"Yes." Bruce replied.

"You really mean it?!" Katrina almost shrieked.

"You'd better believe it." Bruce smiled.

"Well, then. Letting you know that I'm thankful to have someone amazing like you in my life is my way of telling you that I love you, too. More than my own life." Katrina replied sweetly, meaning every word.

"Then I guess we're thankful that we've found love at last." Bruce said.

"Yeah. That's true." said Katrina.

"Guys, happy as Dudley and I are to see you two end up together, we've gotta go home." Kitty said. She was already in the car, and Dudley was waiting for Bruce.

"One sec!" Katrina said to her sister. She turned back to Bruce and gave him a quick kiss and said, "I hope to see you during the weekend."

"Looking forward to it, my love." Bruce said before kissing her back.

Then Katrina got in the car with Kitty, and Dudley and Bruce got in their own car. Then they all drove home.

* * *

The next day was Thanksgiving, and the Katswell twins went to their mother's house for the feast. And when it was time to eat, Mrs. Katswell asked her daughters what they were thankful for.

"I'm thankful to be back in Petropolis." Kitty said.

"What about your husband? I thought he'd be here with you." Mrs. Katswell said, looking a little concerned.

"Yeah... About that..." Kitty started. She felt stupid for not telling her mom, but she knew her mom would not be amused once she found out that the marriage didn't work out.

"Don't tell me you and him got a divorce! How long were you kids married, anyway?" Mrs. Katswell asked, clearly unhappy.

"Only 3 months. But we shouldn't have gotten married in the first place. We knew nothing about one another, and the royal life was a royal pain in the you-know-where." Kitty said.

"Well, I'm surprised you were married for more than a month, but you are right. Marrying someone you don't even know can't always be a good thing." Mrs. Katswell said. Then she turned to Katrina and asked, "So, what are you thankful for, Katrina?"

"For Brucie..." Katrina replied with a dreamy expression on her face.

"Who?" Mrs. Katswell asked.

"Brucie. He's partners with me, Kitty, and Dudley. In fact, he's Dudley's older brother, and my boyfriend. He's an amazing guy, and I can't imagine my life without him. And we told each other we loved each other before we left work the other day." Katrina said.

"So you found someone to love, and he loves you in return. That's wonderful." Mrs. Katswell replied. Then she told them that she was thankful that 2 of her daughters were doing something useful with their lives.

"I thought you liked Katty better." Kitty said bitterly, thinking about how their mother would compare her to Katty.

"I did, but she keeps getting herself thrown in jail, and that's not good. I should be proud of the two of you. You two go out every day and keep the city safe, and that's a good thing." Mrs. Katswell said, which made Kitty and Katrina smile and give their mother a hug.

* * *

At Dudley's house, Dudley was watching the football games, trying hard not to think about how much he missed Kitty, but it wasn't easy. Especially when it was time for the feast, and Dudley's mom called him to the table.

"Coming, Kitty. I mean, MOM!" Dudley said, proving that Kitty was still on his mind.

"What did you call me?" Peg asked.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I know that Kitty's been back in Petropolis for months, but she's always on my mind. And she's one of the things I'm thankful for." Dudley said.

"Apology accepted, Dudley. By the way, what other things are you thankful for?" Peg asked.

"You and Bruce, of course." Dudley said.

"You're a good boy, Dudley." Peg replied, giving her son a hug.

"Thanks, Mom." Dudley said, returning the hug.

Then Peg asked Bruce what he was thankful for.

"For my baby..." Bruce replied.

"Your what?" Peg asked, wondering exactly what Bruce meant.

"My girl, Katrina. I finally got the courage to tell her that I love her before we left work." Bruce said.

"You have a girlfriend now?! What is she like? Is she pretty, and smart, with a good job?" Peg asked. She hadn't heard much about Katrina lately, and so forgot about her.

"You bet! Here's her picture." Bruce said, pulling up a picture of Katrina on his phone and handing it to Peg to look at.

"Hmm... she looks a lot like the girl Dudley was thinking about marrying..." Peg said, looking at Katrina.

"Mom, Kitty and I weren't really getting married. It was a trap for the bad guys so they'd stop stealing wedding presents." Dudley said.

"And like I said, both Kitty and Katrina are pretty, and smart, and they both work at T.U.F.F., which is where Dudley and I work, and being a secret agent is a good job." Bruce said.

"I guess I can't argue with you there, Brucie. Your girlfriend is kinda pretty..." Peg said.

"Mom, I told you to stop calling me 'Brucie'! And secondly, Katrina's more than 'kinda' pretty; she's the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on!" Bruce said.

"And he still doesn't complain if Katrina's the one calling him 'Brucie'. Then again, he's in love." Dudley said to himself.

"Okay. But you're also right about your jobs. You're good at what you do, and you keep the city, sometimes even the world, safe. I won't complain." Peg said.

"Thanks, Mom." Dudley and Bruce said.

"As for me, I'm thankful for my two handsome boys. Now come give your mom a hug." Peg said.

Unable to deny their mom, Dudley and Bruce did as she said.

"Can we eat now?" Dudley asked, looking at the food in order to get his mind off of Kitty.

"Sure." Peg smiled.

Okay, I felt like I needed a sweet chapter like this since I was still mad about the KittyXEric stuff I had to write early on in the fic, and now I feel good. There should be DudleyXKitty stuff on the way, so stay tuned!


	18. Music Of Love

(A/N: And now for another chapter! Let's see what happens in this one!)

It was now December in the city of Petropolis. Months had passed since Kitty returned from Kitaly, and she and Dudley were closer than ever.

Today was a day off, and it was a boring afternoon. Dudley wanted to spend some time with Kitty. He knew that she'd be home.

"You don't mind if I come along, do you?" Bruce asked.

"Not at all. I know that you want to so you can spend time with Katrina." Dudley said.

"Hey, I love her. You know that as well as anyone." Bruce replied.

"Of course. Well, come on. Let's go see Kitty and Katrina." Dudley said. So the brothers got into the car and drove to the apartment building where Kitty and Katrina lived.

In their apartment, Kitty and Katrina were in the living room. Kitty decided to practice Christmas songs on her old keyboard. Katrina was sitting on the couch, watching her sister play.

Sometimes, when Kitty played her keyboard, she'd mess around because that often ended up with her teaching herself a new song. And sure enough, she did teach herself a song. She learned the notes to a song from "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time". She immediately started searching out the other notes.

Katrina had perked up when she heard what Kitty was playing, and she was surprised.

"If Dudley heard what you're playing now, he'd be impressed, like I am. Plus, he'd probably take back the mean things he said about your piano recital, and the bad attitude he had towards it." Katrina said.

"You think so?" Kitty asked.

"He apologized for everything else. And if I know him like I think I do..." Katrina started.

Just then, they heard a knock at the door.

"Keep playing. I'll get it." Katrina said. And when she answered the door, she couldn't help grinning at the sight of Dudley and Bruce.

"Brucie! Dudley! Perfect timing, guys! You've got to hear what Kitty just learned!" Katrina said, motioning for them to come in.

"Kitty, what's up?" Dudley asked as he approached his partner.

"Listen to this!" Kitty said. She played a short tune on the keyboard. It was a melody that Dudley and Bruce knew pretty well.

"I know that song..." Bruce said.

"That song... that came from "Ocarina of Time"... Did you really just...?" Dudley asked, surprised.

"Yes, Dudley. I did. In fact, I've now figured out the notes to the songs Link plays in the game after I learned that one." Kitty said.

"Now I feel awful about how I described your piano recital, and for not enjoying it. I really apologize for that. But I have to wonder, why didn't you tell me you could play Nintendo songs on the piano? If I had known, I wouldn't have complained at all." Dudley said.

Unseen by the brothers, Katrina gave Kitty a look that said, 'I told you so.'

"First of all, you're forgiven, and secondly, those are the first Nintendo songs I've learned, just now." Kitty said.

"Oh. Wait a minute. Show me which keys are the ocarina notes. I wanna do something." Dudley said.

So Kitty showed Dudley the keys, and he taught her the melodies for some songs in other "Zelda" games. Kitty asked Dudley to tell her the order of the notes, and she wrote them down so she could play them herself sometime.

"Thanks for showing me those other songs, but I was actually starting to play Christmas songs when I learned the "Zelda" songs." Kitty explained.

"I love Christmas songs as much as songs from video games. Could you play some for me?" Dudley asked.

"Of course." Kitty replied with a smile.

As she played, Bruce and Katrina saw the way Dudley looked at Kitty. He looked at her as though she was a Christmas angel.

"I think he's in love..." Bruce whispered.

"So is Kitty. Recognize the melody?" Katrina asked.

Bruce listened carefully, and then he figured it out.

"That song. It's "Winter Wonderland", isn't it?" Bruce asked.

"Yes. That's it." Katrina said.

"It's one of the Christmas love songs. I see exactly what you mean." Bruce smiled.

"Yeah. I wouldn't be surprised if Dudley or Kitty confessed today." Katrina said.

"Same here, Katrina baby." Bruce said, pulling Katrina into a kiss. And Katrina immediately started returning the kiss.

But then their kiss was interrupted when Kitty started playing "Jingle Bells" and Dudley sang along very loudly.

"At least he's happy." Katrina reminded Bruce.

"I'm not complaining." Bruce replied. Then he asked, "Did you wanna play a video game?"

"No. If we start, Dudley will want to play, and I'd rather he and Kitty spend time together today. Or, they might confess while we're playing, and we won't even notice." Katrina said.

"Yeah, maybe we'd better just sit back, relax, and enjoy the songs Kitty can play." Bruce decided.

Dudley and Bruce stayed at the sisters' apartment till the sun went down.

"I guess we'd better be going." Bruce said, seeing that it was dark out.

"Aww, do we have to? I was having fun watching Kitty play." Dudley said.

"You can always come over another time, and I'll play some more songs for you, okay?" Kitty asked.

"Okay..." Dudley said. He gave Kitty a hug good-bye, and she gladly returned it.

"I love you, Katrina baby." Bruce said, pulling Katrina into an embrace.

"I love you, too, Brucie." Katrina replied, blushing.

The two gave each other a quick good-bye kiss, and then the brothers left the apartment.

The next chapter might show more DudleyXKitty stuff! You'll have to stay tuned if you wish to read that!


	19. In Love

(A/N: Dudley and Kitty have gotten closer! We should be seeing them ending up together soon enough! Let's read and find out what they're up to now!)

It was a cold December night in the city of Petropolis. And it's real late, so it's possible that Dudley's not awake right now. However, there's a small chance that he might be up. Let's go see anyway.

Dudley had been peacefully sleeping, but then he suddenly awoke with a start! He'd obviously had a dream that he never expected to have before.

"Did I really just dream that?! But why? Kitty's my friend." Dudley said.

Unable to think of any valid reason why he dreamed such a thing, he wondered who might be able to help him make sense of his dream. He thought about telling his mom, but she probably wasn't the best choice right now. Besides, she didn't like being woken up in the middle of the night (unless it was important). So Dudley decided that talking to his brother, Bruce, was the better option.

"_I just hope he doesn't get too mad at me_." Dudley thought as he knocked on Bruce's door.

Bruce was fast asleep when he heard some knocking at his door. He wasn't amused to find that he was being disturbed in the middle of the night.

"Who is it?" Bruce asked, sounding slightly annoyed.

"It's me. Can I come in? I need to talk to you, and it's kinda important." Dudley's voice said.

"Come in." said Bruce, turning on the light and sitting up in his bed.

The door opened and Dudley walked in. Bruce patted the bed, motioning for his brother to sit. Dudley sat at the foot of the bed.

"What is it?" Bruce asked.

"I... had a really odd dream." Dudley said.

"About what?" Bruce asked.

"I dreamed about someone, and that someone is Kitty." Dudley said.

"Really? Let's hear about it." Bruce asked, intrigued.

"Well, Kitty and I were both dressed in nice clothes, and we were sitting together at a table in some fancy restaurant. She and I were really happy together, and then we were about to kiss. And it wasn't like the one we had to do at the fake wedding. I think we both wanted to kiss. Then I woke up." Dudley said.

"You almost kissed her, and you wanted to?!" Bruce asked, surprised.

"Yeah. But why?" Dudley answered.

"Katrina and I thought you were, and now you've proven it." Bruce said.

"What did I prove? Tell me!" Dudley pleaded.

"Dudley, you're in love with Kitty." Bruce said.

"I'm WHAT?!" Dudley screamed.

"Dudley! Be quiet! I'm trying to sleep!" Peg's voice yelled from her bedroom.

"Sorry, Mom!" Dudley apologized. Then he whispered to Bruce, "I'm what?!"

"You're in love with Kitty! Actually, I think you have been for a while now." Bruce replied.

"How long?" Dudley asked.

"Probably since Kitty's engagement and wedding. You were really upset, and you looked as though you'd lost the best thing that happened to you when she left." Bruce said.

"I just took it that I was really going to miss her when she left. And I'd never see her again. But I figured that out after she returned." Dudley said.

"But when she returned, you've been happier than any of us have ever seen you." Bruce said.

"I was finally able to talk to her again, and apologize for the times I wronged her. I was so happy that she forgave me." Dudley said.

"I was sure that she had done so a long time ago, otherwise she wouldn't wear her half of the 'Best Partners' necklace." Bruce said.

"Do you think she feels the same way about me?" Dudley asked.

"Given that she forgave you, hasn't complained about your reluctance to leave her side, enjoys your company, and the stuff Katrina told you the day I met her, I want to say yes, but I don't really know. I'll ask Katrina if Kitty ever told her that she loves you. She might know." said Bruce.

"Are you going to call her so we can find out?" Dudley said.

"No, I'll probably ask her tomorrow." Bruce said.

"Why not now?" Dudley asked.

"Dudley, Kitty and Katrina are most likely gonna be asleep, like we should be. Besides, they'd also be ticked off if I called them in the middle of the night to ask questions like that. Now let's go back to bed." Bruce said.

"Okay." said Dudley. He got up and made his way to the door. As he opened the door, he turned back and said, "Good night, Bruce. And thanks."

"Good night, Dudley. You're welcome." Bruce said.

Then Dudley went back to his own room, and Bruce turned off the lights.

In a matter of seconds, both brothers were asleep once more.

Okay, now it's been proven that Dudley's in love with Kitty! But we don't know how she feels... yet! Stay tuned, and we may find out her feelings real soon!


	20. Going Together

(A/N: Have we really made it to Chapter 20?! I can't believe we've made it this far, and that it's far different from the first edition! Let's see what Dudley and Kitty do in this chapter.)

The next day, most everyone at T.U.F.F. felt excitement about the T.U.F.F. Christmas party, which would be happening that weekend. The party was like most, where the agents would eat, drink, dance, and make merry. They'd also exchange presents with co-workers that they wouldn't be able to see during Christmas. At the end of the party, the Chief (who played 'Office Santa') would give the agents their Christmas bonus, and T.U.F.F would be closed until January 2nd (or later, given the 2nd occurs during the weekend).

(A/N: Okay, I know that the agents were working on Christmas Eve in "A Doomed Christmas", but the timeline begins AFTER the show ends, so things are different.)

By now, Dudley and Bruce arrived at work, and the Katswell sisters arrived shortly thereafter. As soon as Dudley saw Kitty show up, he felt his heart skip a beat, and his tail started wagging. Yup, he was in love, but no one really noticed. Except for Bruce, but he already knew that.

Later, when Bruce and Katrina were on their break, Bruce decided he would find out what Katrina knew.

"Hey, Katrina baby, I was wondering..." Bruce started.

"Yes, Brucie?" Katrina asked, gazing at him lovingly.

"Has Kitty mentioned anything about liking Dudley as more than a friend?" Bruce asked.

"No, not really. I wish she would, though, 'cause in my opinion, they look to be a perfect couple." Katrina said.

"Good thing Dudley isn't here to hear you say that; otherwise, he'd be asking Kitty point-blank if she loves him. And I wouldn't blame him." Bruce said. He looked around for a moment to make sure no one else was listening, then leaned closer to Katrina and whispered, "Do you remember Dudley and Kitty's fake wedding?"

"Yes. I wished they'd done a better job at showing that they were in love. Maybe they would've fallen in love for real in the process, and I wouldn't have complained. I don't think Keswick and the Chief would've complained, either." Katrina whispered back.

"It's funny you say that, because remember how we figured that Dudley was in love with Kitty?" Bruce asked.

"Yes. Did he tell you that he is?" Katrina asked.

"Yes and no. Just last night, he told about a dream he had, where he was on a date with Kitty, and he almost kissed her." Bruce told her.

"Really?" Katrina asked.

"Oh yeah." Bruce smiled.

"I wish I knew if Kitty loves him. She needs someone like him as her true love." Katrina said.

"Yeah." said Bruce.

"Anyway, Brucie, you know that the annual T.U.F.F. Christmas party is coming up, right?" Katrina said.

"It is?" Bruce asked.

"Yeah, and I was wondering..." Katrina said.

"I was planning to attend. Do you wanna go with me?" Bruce asked, knowing what his girlfriend was hinting at.

"I'd love to!" Katrina joyfully replied.

Meanwhile, Dudley was sitting at his cubicle, finding it hard to work. His mind kept going back to Kitty, and he wondered if she loved him, like he did her. How was he going to tell her?

"_How do I tell her? What if she still laughs or turns me down, or worse; she flat-out rejects me? There's no way I can tell her. Perhaps I should wait until I'm absolutely sure_." Dudley thought. This wasn't going to be easy.

At that moment, he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. Dudley quickly turned around, and there was Kitty.

"Hi, Kitty. What's up?" Dudley asked.

"Well, Dudley, I was wondering if you'd like to go to the annual T.U.F.F. Christmas party with me." Kitty said.

"C-could you repeat that?" Dudley asked, surprised. Did Kitty really just ask him to attend the party with her?

"Would you like to attend the T.U.F.F. Christmas party with me?" Kitty asked.

"You bet! I mean... sure! I'd be glad to!" Dudley exclaimed.

"Great!" Kitty smiled.

As she returned to her desk, Dudley thought, "_Maybe I could find out at the party. She must love me if she asked me if I'd like to go with her_."

Not long after that, Bruce and Katrina's break ended, Bruce returned to his cubicle to find an extremely happy Dudley in the cubicle next to his.

"What happened?" Bruce asked.

"Kitty wants me to attend the annual T.U.F.F. Christmas party with her." Dudley smiled.

"Wait a sec! Kitty asked you to the party?" Bruce asked in a loud whisper.

"Yes! I think she loves me back!" Dudley whispered back.

"You're not going to tell her now, are you?" Bruce asked.

"No. But I'm thinking I will at the party." Dudley said.

"Good idea. Anyway, I'm going to the party as well. Katrina wanted to know if I'd attend, and she was hoping I'd ask her to go with me, so I did." Bruce said.

"Cool!" Dudley said.

Meanwhile, the Katswell sisters were discussing the same thing.

"So, Kitty, you do want to go to the Christmas party, don't you?" Katrina asked her sister.

"Yes. In fact, Dudley said he'd like to go with me." Kitty said.

"Did he ask you, or was it the other way around?" Katrina asked, intrigued.

"The latter." Kitty answered.

"Ooh, that's wonderful! Anyway, Brucie and I are going, too. It's going to be so much fun!" Katrina said.

"I'm sure it will be. It usually is." Kitty smiled.

And in the next chapter, that's where they'll be. Now you might remember that as the first chapter of "Love Stories", which is also the first DudleyXKitty fic I ever wrote. Stay tuned to see how it goes!


	21. Best Present Ever!

(A/N: Okay, I forgot to mention it, but this is also the final chapter of this story! Plus, you might notice that there are going to be changes to this chapter, meaning it's the story you might remember, but re-written. How is it going to be different? I'm not going to tell you! You'll have to read it to find out, and here we go!)

It was the day of the annual T.U.F.F. Christmas party. Everyone who worked at T.U.F.F. felt the excitement, and many agents arrived right when the party was about to begin. But the agents we're supposed to be watching are not at the party yet. They might be on their way, so let's go find 'em!

It turned out that Dudley and Bruce were on their way to the apartment building where Kitty and Katrina lived. They were going to pick up the girls and go to the party together, as they had discussed during their break the other day. Bruce was driving the car, and Dudley pulled out his cell phone to call Kitty and let her know that they were coming.

Meanwhile, the Katswell twins were ready to go to the party. Now all they had to do was wait for Dudley and Bruce to come and get them.

At that moment, Kitty's cell phone rang. She picked up right after the first ring.

"Hello?" Kitty answered.

"Kitty, we're right outside. You and Katrina can come out now." Dudley said.

"We'll be right down!" Kitty promised. Then she hung up and turned to Katrina.

"Let's get going!" Katrina grinned. She and Kitty hurried out of their apartment, locking the door behind them.

When the girls stepped outside, Dudley quickly got out of the front passenger seat and got in the back so Katrina could sit next to Bruce, and Kitty was able to sit with Dudley.

"Hey, guys!" Katrina greeted as she got in the front passenger seat, next to her beau.

"Ready to go?" Bruce asked.

"Ready as we'll ever be." Kitty replied, fastening her seat belt.

"Then let's go!" Bruce said.

And the group made their way to T.U.F.F., ready for some Christmas fun.

"It's odd. I thought T.U.F.F. is usually closed on Saturdays." Bruce said.

"It is." Dudley replied.

"But why is it open today? It's Saturday." Bruce pointed out.

"We always have the Christmas party on Saturday because there's no crime on the weekends. It'd be pointless to have it during the week, 'cause then it would be interrupted by bad guys causing mayhem, and where's the fun in that?" Katrina asked.

"I see your point. Thanks for explaining that, pretty lady." Bruce said.

"Glad I could help you, Brucie." Katrina replied, blushing.

When they got there, they discovered that a lot of agents were already there, and they were simply having a wonderful Christmastime.

Since it was nice and warm in the building, the Puppy brothers and Katswell sisters removed their winter gear. It was only then that Dudley and Bruce saw what Kitty and Katrina had on, and they couldn't believe how lovely the girls looked.

Kitty was wearing a long-sleeved, green velvet dress with black, low-heel shoes. Her white headband was replaced by a blue one with a sprig of holly on the right side. She also wore a gold collar with a silver bell dangling from it.

As for Katrina, she also wore the same collar as Kitty, but she wore a little black dress, black flats, and her hair wasn't in a ponytail like it usually was. She left it loose, to do its own thing.

"Wow..." Dudley and Bruce said in unison, finding it difficult to look away from the girls of their dreams.

As for Dudley and Bruce, they were both dressed in sharp, black tuxedos, and the thing that really surprised Kitty was that Dudley was wearing pants with his suit. But the ties he and Bruce wore were different. Bruce wore a red silk tie, and Dudley's was dark blue with silvery stripes, and on those stripes were skiing Santas that went all the way around. (A/N: My dad has a tie like this.)

"Oh my..." said Katrina, impressed with Bruce's attire.

"I should be the one who's impressed, Katrina baby. You look more beautiful than I could've imagined!" Bruce said to Katrina, making her blush like mad.

"Dudley, you're actually wearing pants!" Kitty pointed out.

"It's cold out there! I also wore pants at your wedding, but no one really noticed." Dudley said. Then he added, "You look really lovely today, Kitty."

"Thanks, Dudley. You look pretty handsome yourself." Kitty replied.

"So, who wants to exchange presents now?" Bruce asked.

"I do! Let's do this!" said Dudley. He was looking forward to seeing what Kitty got him for Christmas.

So the Puppy boys and Katswell girls exchanged Christmas presents. Kitty and Katrina both got Dudley some chew toys he'd had his eyes on for weeks.

"How did you know?" Dudley asked, surprised and happy.

"You can thank Brucie for that; he told us what you wrote on your wish list, and that you specified which ones you _really_ wanted." Katrina smiled.

Bruce got a new sweater from Kitty, but Katrina got him a bottle of expensive cologne.

"I'll be wearing this on the nights we go out." Bruce smiled at Katrina.

Kitty received a warm winter hat from Bruce, and from Dudley, a red rose made of crystal. She was speechless when she saw the rose, but she thanked him for it by giving him a big hug. Dudley was glad he made Kitty so happy.

As for Katrina, Dudley got her a $25 gift card for some store, and Bruce got her a rose similar to the one Dudley got for Kitty, except hers was pink, not red.

"Do you like it?" Bruce asked.

"No, not really." said Katrina.

Bruce frowned.

"I LOVE IT! But not as much as I love you, Brucie! I can't believe you got this for me! Thank you!" Katrina replied, and she grabbed Bruce and pulled him into a passionate kiss.

That made Bruce feel a lot better, and he returned the kiss.

Figuring that the couple should be alone now, Dudley and Kitty got up and walked to another part of the room.

"I've never seen Katrina this happy with any guy before. I'm glad she's found happiness with your brother." Kitty whispered to Dudley.

"Yeah, and I'm really happy that Bruce found the girl of his dreams in Katrina. She's a sweetheart, but I think you're sweeter." Dudley replied.

"Aww, you do?" Kitty asked.

"Yeah." Dudley said.

At that moment, they looked up, and what should they see hanging over their heads but... mistletoe.

"If that's what I think it is..." Dudley started.

"Are you thinking it's mistletoe?" Kitty asked.

"That's what it is?" Dudley asked.

"Oh yeah." Kitty replied.

They were silent for a moment. If they were standing under the mistletoe, then that meant they'd have to...

"Neither of us wanted to kiss at the wedding. I didn't even want to when I dreamed I was marrying you." Dudley said, blushing.

"That was a long time ago. Things have changed since then." Kitty reminded him, also blushing.

"You're right. But I'm not going to unless you want to. You up for it?" Dudley asked.

"I thought you'd never ask." Kitty replied.

The two started to lean closer to each other. Closer... closer... and closer still...

"HEY, YOU! JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING WITH MY GIRL?!" an unknown voice suddenly yelled out.

Everyone was startled by the sound, and the party froze! Who said that?

Dudley and Kitty jumped apart at the sound of the voice. They looked in the direction the voice came from and saw an ugly cat with red-brown fur making his way over to them.

"Oh no..." Kitty facepalmed.

"Kitty, who is that guy?" Dudley asked.

"He's my ex-boyfriend. Everyone calls him Jerkbait, and he's a real jerk. He cheated on me with some women who didn't really care that he was already seeing someone, namely me. After I dumped him, he's been chasing after me every now and again, trying to get me to go back to him." Kitty said.

"Did he say he'd never cheat on you again?" Dudley asked.

"Yes. He feeds me that line every time he tries to win me back, but I know better. It's easy enough to _say_ the words, but _proving_ them is what I want to see him do. Not like he's actually gonna do it." Kitty said with a frustrated sigh.

"Smart woman." Dudley said just as Jerkbait arrived.

"Kitty, my love! It's almost Christmas, and what I want isn't something Santa can give me. I want you! Please come back to me, and I'll see to it that you have a merry Christmas!" Jerkbait pleaded.

"For the umpteenth time, NO! I'm never going back to you after what you did!" Kitty yelled.

"Oh, come on! I said I was sorry when you caught me!" Jerkbait said.

"'Sorry' doesn't cut it! When you're in a relationship, that means no one else! You can have female friends, but they can only be _friends_! Nothing more!" Kitty said.

"When are you going to accept that I'm sorry and will never do it again?" Jerkbait asked.

"A better question is: when are you going to realize that I'm too smart to fall for that line? Do you know how many women were told that by men, only to find out that it wasn't true? Too many, but unfortunately for you, I'm not one of them." Kitty said.

"Okay, if that's how you're going to be, I'll just have to take you by force." Jerkbait said. He grabbed Kitty by the arm before she could react and tried to drag her away.

"Dudley, help!" Kitty pleaded. She was struggling to get away from him, but his grip was too strong. He wasn't about to let go of her for nothing!

"He can't help you." Jerkbait replied.

"He will so!" Kitty said.

"There's nothing he can do to stop me! I'm better than he is!" Jerkbait declared.

Dudley was NOT going to stand for this! He marched after the pair and grabbed Jerkbait by the neck, surprising him so much that he let go of Kitty, who quickly got behind Dudley.

"Listen here, you rotten jerk! If you EVER come near Kitty again, or say anything to her, I will find out about it, and I will hunt you down and make your life a living nightmare! Is that CLEAR?!" Dudley yelled, getting right into the ugly cat's face.

"Why does she like you?" Jerkbait asked, trying to breathe.

"Dudley knows what loyalty is. You don't." Kitty replied.

"I don't think he really cares about you like I do." Jerkbait tried.

"He cares about me more than you ever could! He's better than you could ever hope to be, and I love him!" Kitty said.

"(gasp) Did she just say...?!" Katrina asked, shocked.

"Kitty admit it! She loves Dudley!" Bruce replied.

Dudley was so surprised when he heard Kitty say that she loved him. Did she really mean it, or was she just saying that to get rid of Jerkbait? Either way, Dudley accidentally let go of the stupidly evil cat.

"Have you lost your mind?! He's a _dog_! You're a _cat_!" Jerkbait asked Kitty, trying to go for her.

"It doesn't matter! He cares about my feelings more than you ever did!" Kitty said, dodging Jerkbait by staying close to Dudley.

"You know what?! I don't care whether or not you love him. You're still gonna be mine!" Jerkbait said, and he tried to grab Kitty again. But just as he reached out, Dudley took him out with a PUPPY PUNCH!

Once Jerkbait was out cold, Kitty handcuffed him, and two other agents took him to jail.

"Kitty, did you really mean that? Do you love me?" Dudley asked, turning to his partner.

"Yes, Dudley. I really do love you. I was planning to tell you after we kissed, but then Jerkbait showed up and... well, it more or less forced me to admit it right then. Do you love me back?" Kitty asked.

"Yes. As it turns out, I've loved you for a long time without realizing it. Back when Eric proposed to you, and you accepted, I felt really awful, like I had just lost the best thing that had ever happened to me. I also felt that I wasn't good enough for you because of all the times I did you wrong. When you came back and forgave me, I felt that I had a chance. And I'm glad you didn't get mad at me for being so close to you because I missed you so much when you were gone, and I couldn't be by your side long enough." Dudley said.

"Oh, Dudley! I wasn't thinking when I proposed to Eric. Then again, he wasn't thinking, either. We went right ahead and decided to get married despite knowing next to nothing about the other. I'm so sorry for hurting you!" Kitty exclaimed.

"It's okay, though. We're together now, and that's all that matters." Dudley told her.

"Yeah, but..." Kitty said, eyeing the mistletoe, which neither of them were under anymore. Dudley noticed.

"I don't have to be under the mistletoe to do this." Dudley said, and with that, he dipped Kitty and kissed her passionately. Kitty didn't put up any kind of fuss; she kissed him back. The best part was that this time, their lips actually made contact, and they didn't act like kissing the other was the worst thing they'd ever had to do. That's when Dudley and Kitty realized they were meant to be together.

When they pulled apart, Dudley looked Kitty in the eyes and said, "I love you, Kitty Katswell."

"I love you too, Dudley Puppy." Kitty replied, and they kissed each other once again.

And everyone started to cheer (with Bruce and Katrina cheering as though their favorite baseball team had just won the World Series)! It was great to see Dudley and Kitty end up together, especially after Dudley saved Kitty from the clutches of her evil ex-boyfriend, Jerkbait.

It was a Christmas party Dudley and Kitty would never forget!

The End

Well, that's the story! Now Dudley and Kitty are boyfriend and girlfriend. But a bigger question is: do they get married? Do Bruce and Katrina also end up together? If you remember, "Love Stories", then you know the answer. If not... all will be revealed in the re-write of "Love Stories", which will be coming soon!


End file.
